Two teams going the opposite direction square-off at the FedExForum on Tuesday night as the San Antonio Spurs visit the Memphis Grizzlies.
San Antonio is one of the hottest teams in the league right now and head to Memphis with a five game winning streak. The Grizzlies have fizzled after a strong start and currently have a six game losing streak going to Tuesday’s match-up with the Spurs.
The San Antonio Spurs continue to surge as they have won five straight games and have lost just thrice in their last 16 games. With their recent success, the Spurs have now grabbed a share of the lead in the Southwest Division (with the Houston Rockets) and are currently at sixth place in the Western Conference standings prior to Tuesday’s games. They look to continue to roll against the Grizzlies who are groping for form right now.
DeMar DeRozan has adjusted very well to Gregg Popovich’s system as he’s averaging 22.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game this season. LaMarcus Aldridge is also having a great season with 20.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Veteran forward Rudy Gay is contributing 13.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this season.
The Spurs are ranked 11th in the league in team scoring with their 111.9 points per game average. They are also 11th in both passing and scoring defense with 24.9 assists and 108.6 points per game allowed. San Antonio is 21st among 30 NBA teams in rebounding with 44.3 boards per contest.
After a rock solid 12-5 start to their 2018-19 season, the Memphis Grizzlies have been free falling and now are four games below the .500 mark at 18-22 after losing 16 out of their last 23 games. Memphis enters this game with a six-game losing streak and the Grizzlies have lost three in a row at the FedExForum. They hope to end their slide on Tuesday night but are in for a tough task against the red hot Spurs.
Mike Conley Jr. has been at the forefront for the Grizzlies. The 31-year old guard is averaging 20.3 points, 6.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game to lead his team. Marc Gasol leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per contest but the Spaniard is averaging only 15.5 points per game this season. Rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. is contributing 13.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for Memphis.
To its credit, Memphis is the 2nd best defensive team in the league, allowing just 102.9 points per game. The Grizzlies are 21st in passing at 23.1 assists per game but are next to last in team scoring at 101.0 points per game. Even worse, Memphis is at the bottom of the rankings in rebounding at 39.5 boards per game.
The Spurs are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games played but are only 7-12 SU on the road this season. Memphis is 2-8 SU in their last 10 games played and are 10-9 SU at home this season. Head to head, the Spurs are 7-3 in their last 10 games against the Grizzlies.
These teams played just last Saturday and the Spurs beat the Grizzlies by 20 points. Sure, that game was played in San Antonio but with Memphis just 10-9 SU at home this season, home court may not be a significant advantage to the Grizzlies on Tuesday.
The Spurs are playing their best basketball of the season right now a they have won 13 out of their last 16 games played including their last five. Aside from their blowout of Memphis, the Spurs took out the Clippers, Celtics and Raptors during their current five game win streak. On the other hand, the Grizzlies have seen their season go south in a hurry as they’ve dropped 16 out of their last 23 games after starting the season at 12-5. Memphis has lost six in a row and 11 out of 13 overall.
San Antonio has all kinds of momentum going for them on Tuesday night. Marc Gasol recently admitted that their “confidence is fragile” and along with the Chandler Parsons separation, Memphis looks like a team that’s ready to implode anytime now. We’re picking the San Antonio Spurs to beat the Memphis Grizzlies on 1/9/19.
The Spurs are 25-16 ATS on the season and 9-10 ATS in their 19 road games played this season. The Grizzlies are 17-23 ATS this season and 9-10 ATS at home so far during this campaign. Head to head, the Spurs are 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 meetings.
The Spurs are 5-0 ATS in their last five games after an ATS win. San Antonio is also 6-0 ATS in their last six games following an SU win. Furthermore, the Spurs are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against opponents with a losing SU record and 4-1-1 ATS in their last six road games played. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are 0-4 in their last four games against Southwest Division teams. Memphis is also 0-6 ATS in their last six home games, 5-18 ATS in their last 23 games overall. Lastly, San Antonio is 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 meetings against the Grizzlies. Prediction: Spurs -3
The over is 23-17-1 in San Antonio’s games this season. The over is also 12-6-1 in the Spurs’ 19 road games played so far. The under is 24-16 in Memphis’ 40 games played this season. The under is 10-9 in the Grizzlies’ 10 home games played so far. Head to head, the over is 7-3 in the last 10 games between these two teams.
The total has gone over in four out of the last five games played by the Spurs. Three out of the four games played by the Grizzlies in 2019 had a total score of 204 points or higher.
The over is 5-1 in their last six meetings in Memphis. The Spurs are averaging 118.8 points per game during their current five game win streak. I think 203.5 might be too low not to hit for these two teams. Prediction: Over 203.5
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