The Memphis Grizzlies continued their ascent in the Western Conference standings after securing yet another win over the defending champions San Antonio Spurs last Wednesday. Up next for the Grizzlies is a matchup against another title contender in the form of the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls may not have the services of Derrick Rose again, but so long as Jimmy Butler plays just as great as he had in the team’s win over the New York Knicks last night, Chicago will have a fair shot at taking down the rampaging Grizzlies.
In another matchup tonight, the Thunder pay the Lakers a visit for their first meeting of the season. Check out our preview of that game here.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Chicago Bulls vs. Memphis Grizzlies Betting Preview
Where: FedExForum, Memphis
When: Friday, December 19, 2014, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Chicago Bulls at Memphis Grizzlies– view all NBA lines
Betting on the Chicago Bulls
Jimmy Butler did not say anything, but his performance Thursday night against the New York Knicks speaks volumes about his desire for a lucrative contract extension.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Set to become a free agent in 2015, Butler took over most of the scoring duties with Derrick Rose out with an illness in the Knicks game. Butler scored 35 points and added seven assists to power the Bulls past New York, 103-97, for the team’s fourth win in their last five games.
If Rose misses time again, then Butler is going to be the clear-cut focal point of Chicago’s offense when the team faces Memphis. Butler is averaging a career-high 21.5 PPG on a 48.6 percent shooting clip.
Pau Gasol, meanwhile, will provide Chicago with a solid weapon to bang against the Grizzlies’ bruising tandem of Pau’s younger brother Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Gasol scored 20 points and collected seven rebounds in the win over New York. The elder Gasol will team up down low with Joakim Noah, who returned to the floor against the Knicks after a three-game absence because of an ankle injury.
Noah looked rusty offensively in that game, scoring only four points. Noah, though, grabbed 13 rebounds and should be back to his top form for tonight’s ball game. He is averaging 8.6 PPG and 9.8 RPG, thus far this season.
The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.
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Betting on the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis is making a serious case to be considered as the NBA’s best team right now, and Marc Gasol is playing a big part in the Grizzlies’ quest to become just that.
Gasol poured in 26 points and had nine rebounds in Memphis’ epic 117-116 over the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night. The win came just a day after the Grizzlies scored an emphatic 105-98 win over the Golden State Warriors, who were then on a 16-game win streak. Similar to the Spurs game, Gasol top scored for Memphis, putting up 24 points in 35 minutes of action.
The Spaniard has been the Grizzlies’ best player this season. He leads the team in scoring (19.8 PPG) and is one of the major reasons why Memphis is among the best defensive teams in the league, as the Grizzlies allow opponents to score only 96.4 PPG. Gasol leads the team with 1.7 BPG.
With Gasol and frontcourt buddy Zach Randolph (16.4 PPG, 11.4 RPG) clogging the painted area, the Grizzlies have limited their opponents to just 55% shooting near the basket—third lowest in the NBA. That kind of defense should play a key role in fending off Chicago’s twin tower combo of Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol.
As for the team’s backcourt, Mike Conley provides Memphis with 17.6 PPG and 6.4 APG this season. Backup Beno Udrih has played great lately, averaging 6.0 PPG and 5.6 APG in 16.9 MPG in the team’s last five outings.
The Grizzlies are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 home games against Chicago.
Writer’s Prediction
The Grizzlies win, 99-92.
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