The Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies are back at it on Friday with their second matchup of the week. The second-place Grizzlies beat the Nuggets 112-94 on Saturday to even the season series 1-1. Friday’s rubber match is a big deal as the Grizzlies can draw closer to leapfrogging Denver for the lead in the West.
The current NBA lines list the Nuggets are -4½ point favorites with a game total of 234.
Grizzlies Building Momentum
The Grizzlies have to feel good about their sizable win over the first-place Nuggets last weekend after leading by more than 30 at one point during the third quarter. Memphis still has some ground to cover, but another win over the Nuggets would leave the Grizzlies four games of first place.
One area of concern regarding its chances to win is Memphis’ weak record on the road. The Grizzlies are 12-18 straight up and 10-19-1 against the spread (ATS) when playing away from home. With a 3-7 ATS road record in their last 10 games, their traveling issues haven’t been solved.
The only NBA news regarding injuries for the Grizzlies on Friday is Steven Adams, who remains out with a knee injury. Adams’ production in regards to scoring has been down this season, but he’s averaging a healthy 11.5 rebounds and the Grizzlies’ interior defense suffers when he’s not on the court.
Nuggets in Revenge Mode
The Denver Nuggets may have a five-game lead on the Grizzlies, but they already suffered one loss to their rivals this week and are looking to avoid a second. The loss to Memphis came by 18 points in a game the Grizzlies were favored by -3 points. Despite the loss, Denver is still favored in the NBA Finals odds to win the championship at +800 over the Grizzlies at +1800.
The Nuggets’ loss could have been much worse as they were down 32 points heading into the fourth quarter.
I believe Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets won’t allow themselves to get embarrassed again on Friday. One reason for this is the venue. Denver’s loss on Saturday was in Memphis, and the Nuggets are 14-17 ATS on the road. However, at home, the Nuggets lead the NBA with a 21-10-1 record against the spread and a return on investment (ROI) of 28.41%.
Injuries held the Nuggets back on Saturday, and many of the same players are still banged up entering this rematch. Zeke Nnai and Collin Gillespie are out of action while Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Vlatko Cancar are questionable for Friday. Gordon’s absence has been a big deal as the Nuggets’ third-leading scorer and second-most productive rebounder.
Grizzlies vs Nuggets Game Injuries
Grizzlies vs Nuggets Head-to-Head
The Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets split games this season, each winning at home. The NBA betting lines listed the Nuggets as underdogs in both games despite leading the West over Memphis. The over/under is 1-6 in the last seven games between these rivals.
Grizzlies vs Nuggets Game Information
- Game: Grizzlies (38-23) vs Nuggets (44-19)
- Location Ball Arena, Denver, CO
- Day/Time: Friday, March 3, 10 p.m. ET
- Grizzlies vs Nuggets Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Grizzlies vs Nuggets Betting Lines
Grizzlies vs Nuggets Picks and Prediction
I feel a big win coming for the Nuggets tonight as they return to their home court. Both teams’ home/away splits suggest that the best NBA picks for this game will be in Denver at the Ball Arena. If you will bet on basketball, the Denver Nuggets at -4½ is one of the stronger wagers you can make on Friday.
The Memphis Grizzlies are listed at -160 in our Vegas NBA lines. If you wager $100 on the Grizzlies, you can win $63. The Denver Nuggets are +185, offering a chance to win $185 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Grizzlies a 61.54% chance to win, with the Clippers at 35.09%.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
Grizzlies vs Nuggets Trends
Grizzlies vs Nuggets Edge
Grizzlies vs Nuggets Results
Grizzlies vs Nuggets Game Summary
Nuggets vs Grizzlies Previous Game(Feb. 25 ,2023)
Home-court advantage should impact the way you look at this NBA betting preview, as the overall records won’t have too big of an impact. Denver is clearly the better overall team in this game, but the Grizzlies can’t afford to give this game away at home.
Things haven’t been going well for Memphis of late, but a big win over Denver could end up getting the Grizzlies back on track. This game should be a battle for 48 minutes, but ultimately it will be the Grizzlies that come up with the big plays to win.
Now that the NBA All-Star Break is over, teams throughout the league are going to be making one final push to the playoffs. The Memphis Grizzlies play host to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night, and the home team desperately needs a win.
