Lakers-Grizzlies Preview: Ja Morant Too Much for LeBron-less Lakers
We’ll be keeping an eye on a full slate of NBA games tonight, especially the clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies.
The storyline heading into this game is the availability of LeBron James, who will be out for weeks due to a foot injury. Just as the Lakers looked to be turning a corner, things went array.
Lakers @ Grizzlies Game Information- Location: FedEx Forum | Memphis, TN
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | TNT
Memphis comes into tonight relatively healthy other than a sidelined Steven Adams, while Los Angeles appears to also be without D’Angelo Russell in the starting lineup.
The Grizzlies hold the second seed in the West and are 5.5 games behind top-seeded Denver, who they put an 18-point beatdown on Saturday. It was a much-needed motivational win for a Grizzlies team who has seemingly been up and down since they tried to fight Shannon Sharpe.
LA is sitting on the outskirts of a tightly compacted West leaderboard, where 13th-place Oklahoma City is only four games back from fourth-place Phoenix. The Lakers sit in the 12th position, but if LeBron is sidelined for weeks, their ability to make up ground is significantly reduced.
Lakers @ Grizzlies Game Odds on FanDuel- Spread: Lakers +9 (-110) | Grizzlies -9 (-110)
- Moneyline: Lakers (+310) | Grizzlies (-375)
- Total: Over 230.5 (-110) | Under 230.5 (-110)
The Grizzlies are 25-5 at the FedEx Forum straight up and 18-11-1 against the spread. While nine is a large number to cover, the Lakers have little going for them without their superstar. In 14 games without LeBron this season, LA has gone 5-9, with eight losses by nine-plus points.
We’ll lay the points with Memphis tonight on that alone, but also like the confidence rollover the Grizzlies should have after Saturday.
Lakers @ Grizzlies Prop Picks on FanDuel- Dennis Schroder UNDER 14.5 Points (-108)
- Ja Morant OVER 27.5 Points (-113)
- Anthony Davis OVER 12.5 Rebounds (-130)
Dennis Schroder’s prop is justly inflated due to LeBron’s and Russell’s injuries. However, Memphis allows the fourth-fewest points to opposing point guards this season, and Schroder has gone under this number in ten of his last 13 games. He did score 19 points in his previous matchup against Memphis, but making ten free throws significantly helped when he’s only averaged 3.2 free throw makes per game—bank on his UNDER.
Ja Morant has gone under this number in four straight games, but on national television, you know Ja has the ego to want to make a statement. He’ll have a favorable matchup with the Lakers, allowing the second-most points to opposing point guards this season.
Morant only had 22 points in the previous matchup against the Lakers, when he shot an atrocious 9-29 from the field, tied for the most shot attempts he’s taken this season. We expect a few more to fall tonight.
Anthony Davis’s rebounding numbers this season without LeBron have been out of this world. In nine games, he’s averaged 15.9 rebounds per game, including a four-rebound outlier. Memphis has been much more vulnerable in the paint without Adams, so we’re looking to ride AD tonight.
