NBA Betting Guide for Wednesday, December 15: Back The Grizzlies On The Road In Portland

Stephen Curry broke Ray Allen’s three-point record yesterday at Madison Square Garden. Unfortunately, his performance wasn’t good enough to go over his scoring prop of 26.5. I’m glad the suspense is over, and now we can focus on other things in the Association. I, for one, will try to get back to business and pick out a winner on Wednesday’s NBA card. As a result, I’ve got my sights set on a game out West that features two teams heading in opposite directions.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

The Memphis Grizzlies are quietly becoming one of the better teams in the league. At 17-11, the Grizzlies are atop the Southwest Division, and they’re currently ranked fourth overall in the conference. They’ve also been profitable at the betting window, given their 17-11 against the spread (ATS) mark. On Wednesday night, they’ll head to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers as a 2.5-point favorite.

The Grizzlies come into the matchup on a three-game winning streak. They’ve won eight of their past 12 games, and five of their past eight wins have been by double digits. One of those victories includes a 126-91 pounding of the 76ers on Monday night. This is also the same Grizzlies team that set the NBA record for the most lopsided victory by defeating the Thunder 152-79 on Dec. 2.

As for the Trail Blazers, they’re just 1-9 in their past ten games, with their only victory during that span coming against the lowly Pistons, who are just 4-22 on the season. This will be Portland’s third game in four nights, including a second consecutive game in as many nights after a 111-107 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns.

In contrast, Memphis wasn’t in action on Tuesday, which means it’ll have a one-day rest advantage in this matchup.

Part of the Trail Blazers’ struggles this season has been on the defensive end of the court. They rank 29th in defensive efficiency, allowing 109.7 points per 100 possessions. They’ll be up against a Memphis team that’s ranked fifth in offensive efficiency with 108.1 points per 100 possessions. Moreover, that number’s up to 116 points over their past three games, which puts Memphis second in the league during that span.

This is a tough scheduling spot for the Trail Blazers to bounce back within 24 hours. Thus, I can only look to play the Grizzlies in this spot.

Lay the points with the road favorites.

Pick: Grizzlies -2.5