Grizzlies Wrap Up Road Trip
Granted, it has been a short trek, but the Memphis Grizzlies, with a win against the San Antonio Spurs, could go 2-1 on their mini-road trip.
A team with great NBA title odds, the Grizzlies are heavily favored on the road against the lowly Spurs, who have the third-worst record in the NBA and have essentially locked up the top odds for the NBA draft lottery.
But covering the spread is a tough ask, so here is a breakdown of each team, series history, NBA betting odds, and more.
Grizzlies Missing Star Point Guard
The Memphis Grizzlies remain without star point guard Ja Morant, who went to a facility for treatment after a photo of him displaying a firearm at a Denver nightclub surfaced earlier in the month. The NBA suspended him for eight games, including the six he has served. The Grizzlies are 3-3 since that NBA news dropped.
The Grizzlies maintain one of the best records in the league because they are solid on both ends of the court. Memphis is 10th in scoring at 115.7 points per game and fifth in limiting opponents to 111.9 points per game, though the efficiencies vary.
On the offensive end, the Grizzlies are 19th in making 46.9% of field goals, 25th in making 34.4% of 3-point shots, and last in making 72.7% of free throw attempts. Defensively, they are first at holding teams to 45.0% on field goal attempts and ninth at limiting them to 35.3% on 3-point shots.
The Grizzlies are 32-35-1 against the spread and 30-37-1 on over/unders, but are 13-22 straight up on the road. They are 27-25-1 against the spread as favorites and 6-8 against the spread on the road against teams with a losing record.
Spurs Riddled With Injuries
The San Antonio Spurs have eight players on the injury report. While teams should not joke about injuries, and there is likely some truth, it is just more evidence of the tough luck they have fallen on.
The injured players are: Romeo Langford (thigh), out; Devonte Graham (quadricep), out; Khem Birch (knee), out; Charles Bassey (knee), out for the season; Keita Bates-Diop (Achilles), questionable; Devin Vassell (knee), questionable; Jeremy Sochan (knee), questionable; Zach Collins (ankle), questionable.
The Spurs are the worst defensive team in the league, ranking last in 122.1 points per game while allowing opponents to shoot 50.5% on field goal attempts and 39.4% on 3-point shots. The offense does not get much better as they rank 24th at 112.5 points per game, 21st at 46.8% on field goal attempts, and 24th at 34.5% on 3-point shots.
They are even 28-41 against the spread, but 40-28-1 on over/unders. They have double the wins at home than on the road, though.
Grizzlies vs Spurs Game Injuries
Grizzlies vs Spurs Head-to-Head
The Memphis Grizzlies have been dominant of late against the San Antonio Spurs, a reversal of an early trend. The Grizzlies have won nine straight games, but the Spurs lead the series all-time at 74-35.
Despite the winning streak, scores and odds show the Spurs are 4-0 against the spread in the last four games, and the over is 3-0 in the last three.
Grizzlies vs Game Information
- Game: Memphis Grizzlies (41-27) at San Antonio Spurs (18-51)
- Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
- Day/Time: Friday, March 17, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Grizzlies vs Spurs Live stream: NBA Game Pass
Grizzlies vs Spurs Betting Lines
Grizzlies vs Spurs Prediction
The best guidance is to not bet on this game until the full injury report comes out because the NBA lines may change. The Memphis Grizzlies are not only without Morant but also Steven Adams (knee), Brandon Clarke (Achilles), Jake LaRavia (back), and Vince Williams Jr. (shoulder).
The San Antonio Spurs have great news in that rookie Sochan may return before the season’s end and get some valuable development time. If he and Vassell play, it makes the Spurs against the spread a little more appealing, and that is what we are banking on.
When making your NBA picks, take the Grizzlies to win and the Spurs to keep it close.
The Memphis are listed at -370 in our Vegas SPORT lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Grizzlies , you have a chance to win $27. The San Antonio are +290, offering a chance to win $290 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Memphisa 78.72% chance to win, with Spurs at 25.64%
Grizzlies vs Spurs Trends
Grizzlies vs Spurs Edge
Grizzlies vs Spurs Results
Grizzlies vs Spurs Game Summary
Spurs vs Grizzlies Previous Game (Jan 11, 2023)
The Memphis Grizzlies are coming off a sizable win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, 121-113. The two are at it again on Wednesday in Memphis, with the Spurs getting a shot at quick redemption. But, without a 0-9 record in the last three years against the Grizzlies, San Antonio will have their work cut out for them.
While I don’t love betting on the Grizzlies to cover such a vast spread, especially two days after failing to cover a similar line against the same team, I can’t ignore the power of Morant.
He has the skills to take over any game he plays in and will also be well-rested. The Grizzlies were also on a 5-0 ATS winning streak before he went down.
This is the biggest spread the Grizzlies have seen this year, but I like their chances to eclipse it.
