Rivalries Getting Heated
Despite what Draymond Green says, the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies are officially a rivalry. They will meet on Saturday for the fourth and final time during the regular season. In the last game between these teams, the NBA news was focused on a podcast episode done by Green, trash-talking Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks.
This will be the second of a back-to-back for both teams, which could affect the game. The Warriors lost their 10th straight road game, 127-119 to the Atlanta Hawks, while the Grizzlies beat the San Antonio Spurs 126-120.
Warriors Troubling Road Record Despite Curry Being Awesome
How bad the Warriors have been on the road seems almost impossible. The defending champion’s road record matches up with the worst teams in the league, winning 20% of the time. Still, the Warriors are in seventh place in the Western Conference.
Golden State has struggled when getting highlight performances from Stephen Curry. Curry has had impressive performances in two of the last four road games. Facing the Oklahoma City Thunder, he scored 40 points, with 10 threes, and seven assists. The Warriors still lost by nine. Then against the Los Angeles Clippers, Curry had 50 points, and they lost by eight.
Stephen Curry last night, one of the most efficient 50 pieces ever.
20-28 shooting, 8 threes and only 4 FTA. pic.twitter.com/cTTAiFe659
— Antonin (@antonin_org) March 16, 2023
In fact, out of Curry’s nine best offensive performances, 38 points or more, seven have come on the road. Of those seven road games, Curry has scored 50 points twice, both were losses, and the Warriors have gone 2-5. Golden State needs Curry to go off in road games for them even to have a chance of winning, and they still can’t do it.
With the season winding down, what does this mean for the Warriors’ title defense? Their NBA Finals odds might not be affected the way you may think. Based on the standings, to repeat last season’s success, all the Warriors must do is win four road games.
Grizzlies Fighting Through Absences
So much has changed for the Grizzlies roster over the last few weeks since Ja Morant and his off-court troubles. On top of that, Steven Adams does not seem to be returning anytime soon, and Brandon Clarke is out for the season. Memphis’s NBA title odds have been negatively affected by so many key players out of the lineup this late in the season.
However, recently, with the Grizzlies getting farther removed from all the Morant issues and getting used to how the team will play, they are getting settled in. They have won four of the last five games, with role players starting to step up. Desmond Bane has become a bigger part of the offense, averaging 20.2 points and 6.2 assists through this stretch. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Tyus Jones have also stepped up with more responsibility.
ESPN Sources: Grizzlies star Ja Morant met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver in New York today. Morant has left a counseling program in Florida and moves closer to ramping up for return to season now. He must wait on league announcement of findings in probe, expected soon. pic.twitter.com/zAVxrPsMWQ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 15, 2023
The Grizzlies NBA lines have started to normalize after a rough patch that has led them into a battle for the second seed in the West. With Morant seemingly gearing up to return after his suspension, the Grizzlies could retain their position being a title contender.
Warriors vs Grizzlies Game Injuries
Warriors vs Grizzlies Head-to-Head
This rivalry started with a Memphis win in the 2020 play-in, then beating Golden State three times last season. The Warriors got the last laugh, though, eliminating the Grizzlies in the playoffs.
This season, the Warriors won the first two matchups against the Grizzlies. Both happened to be in the Bay Area. The last game was in Memphis on March 9th, when the Grizzlies dominated 131-110, even without Morant.
Warriors vs Grizzlies Game Information
- Game: Warriors (36-35) vs Grizzlies (42-27)
- Location: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
- Day/Time: Saturday, March 18, 8 p.m. ET
- Warriors vs Grizzlies Live stream: NBA Game Pass
Warriors vs Grizzlies Betting Lines
Warriors vs Grizzlies Picks and Prediction
In theory, a rivalry game like this should bring out the best in the Warriors to break out of their road slump. However, it did not happen the last time they faced the Grizzlies. This makes the Warriors’ away game struggles a solid NBA picks pattern.
The question is, will the Grizzlies be able to cover the points spread? They should be able to, even with having key players out.
The Memphis Grizzlies are listed at -130 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Grizzlies, you have a chance to win $77. The Golden State Warriors is +110, offering a chance to win $110 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Memphis Grizzlies a 56.52% chance to win, with the Golden State Warriors at 47.62%.
Warriors vs Grizzlies Trends
Warriors vs Grizzlies Edge
Warriors vs Grizzlies Results
Warriors vs Grizzlies Game Summary
Warriors vs Grizzlies Previous Game (Mar 9, 2023)
When the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies face each other, it quickly becomes must-see TV. Since they met in the play-in in 2021 and the playoffs last season, the teams have built a rivalry around the Warriors being the “top dog” in the Western Conference and the Grizzlies becoming a young contender. Their next game will be on Thursday.
Both teams have good NBA title odds at the moment, but they are coming off losses. The Warriors lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 137-128 on Tuesday despite Stephen Curry scoring 40 points with 10 3-pointers. The Grizzlies have had a very tough NBA news week, overshadowing their three-game losing streak, with the last loss coming against the Los Angeles Lakers, 113-103.
Beyond the production on the court, so much goes into this game when making NBA picks. The Grizzlies will likely be without their star player, although his two-game suspension from the team has passed. On the other hand, the Warriors are one of the worst teams on the road.
The Grizzlies are a team that also gets an extra boost from playing at home, which could be enough to push them past the Warriors.
