The Memphis Grizzlies (23-13) are battling for first place in the Western Conference, while the Charlotte Hornets (10-28) are in a race to the bottom. These are teams headed in the opposite direction, with very different goals.
The Grizzlies beat the Sacramento Kings 118-108 on Jan. 1, winning their third straight and dominating the paint in many different ways. The Hornets continued their struggling play, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 121-115 on Monday, losing their 13th game over the last 16.
Let’s check the latest NBA odds, stats, injury report and NBA lines for Grizzlies vs Hornets. We’ve plenty of NBA betting odds for you to consider.
Grizzlies Dominating the Paint
There are many ways the Grizzlies establish their dominance in games, and one is through the paint. They are among the best rebounding, shot-blocking, and most efficient scoring teams.
They displayed that when facing the Kings, with Steven Adams having a career-high 23 rebounds, 13 of which were offensive. On the season, the Grizzlies are first in total rebounds and offensive rebounds per game. That is helped by Ja Morant, an excellent rebounding guard at 6.1 per game, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jackson is a massive part of the Grizzlies, dominating the paint on defense, averaging 3.2 blocks per game. On top of that, despite missing the start of the season, he is already in the top five in total blocks.
On offense, the Grizzlies make the seventh most field goals in the restricted area and the most in the rest of the paint, 10 per game. That is 1.1 baskets made more than the next-best in the paint, with the sixth-best field goal percentage in that area.
Hornets Next Steps
The Hornets team should not be as bad as they have been. On paper, they have LaMelo Ball, an All-Star in his sophomore season. Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre Jr. are averaging over 20 points per game, with Gordon Hayward and P.J. Washington being solid players.
However, it has not worked with the season, along with just about every one of those players who could help the Hornets turn around their season has missed time with injury. So far, it has been a failure of a season, and it seems like it might only get worse. Rozier had 27 points against the Lakers, while Ball added 24 but could not hold their own defensively.
The defense for the Hornets has not been able to do much. They are allowing the third most points per game, 118.1, and over the last 16 games, they have allowed at least 119 points in 13.
A mix of defensive struggles and players’ inability to stay healthy has put the Hornets in a challenging position. There is very little hope of them climbing back to a competitive record, and with the trade deadline a little over a month away, maybe they should be sellers.
Grizzlies vs Hornets Game Injuries
Grizzlies vs Hornets Head-to-Head
The Grizzlies have won the last two games against the Hornets, including a 130-99 game on Nov. 4. In that game, the Grizzlies completely dominated, with eight players in double figures.
Grizzlies vs Hornets Game Information
- Game: Grizzlies (23-13) vs Hornets (10-28)
- Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
- Day/Time: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 7:00 p.m. EST
- Grizzlies vs Hornets Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Grizzlies vs Hornets Betting Lines
Grizzlies vs Hornets Picks & Prediction
The Grizzlies have quickly reinstated themselves as one of the top teams in the NBA and have won their last three games. The Hornets are sliding down the standings, which could worsen as they deal with more injuries.
It’s hard not to imagine the Grizzlies winning, and it should probably be by a lot, maybe not like the last game, but enough to cover the 7½ point spread.
The Memphis Grizzlies are listed at -300 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Grizzlies, you have a chance to win $33. The Charlotte Hornets is +250, offering a chance to win $250 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Memphis Grizzlies a 75.00% chance to win, with the Charlotte Hornets at 28.57%.
