Cleveland dropped its opener for the second straight season after losing to the Chicago Bulls by two points on Tuesday. The Cavaliers will look to get their season back on track when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies in a blockbuster showdown at FedEx Forum later tonight.
Line: Cleveland Cavaliers (+6) at Memphis Grizzlies (-6); total: 187.5 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers opened their 2014-15 season in disappointing fashion as they were beaten by the Chicago Bulls, 97-95, on opening night. The Cavs shot horrendously from the field in this game, making just 38 of their 94 attempts. They particularly struggled from the three-point area, going just 9 of 29 from beyond the arc.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Their 95-point output was way below their 103.1 PPG scoring average last season. That’s a major concern for the Cavaliers heading into their showdown with the Grizzlies tonight. Memphis was second in the league in scoring defense last season. That being said, the Cavaliers will fancy their chances of unlocking the Memphis D as they shredded to bits the Grizzlies’ defensive schemes in their two meetings last season.
Cleveland shot a whopping 55.6 percent from the field in those two games which they won by an average of 18.0 points. LeBron James played a major part in that two-game sweep, scoring 45 points and handing out 16 assists in those two victories. James loves playing here in Memphis as evidenced by his 30.9 scoring average in this place. That’s his third-best scoring mark in an NBA city.
That will give some confidence to James who struggled somewhat in the season opener against Chicago. James scored 25 points, hauled down 10 rebounds and dished out five assists in the two-point loss, but his tying layup attempt with four seconds left was denied by Pau Gasol. With Kyrie Irving still out with a knee injury, the onus is on James and Kevin Love to carry the scoring load for the Cavs. Love had 18 points and eight rebounds in his first game since suffering a dislocated left shoulder in the first round of the playoffs against Boston.
The Cavaliers are 6-4 SU and ATS in their last 10 road games.
The Memphis Grizzlies will be tested immediately in their season opener when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers later tonight. The LeBron James-led Cavs swept aside the Grizzlies in the 2014-15 campaign, a season which saw Memphis finish with an impressive 55-27 record.
The Grizzlies, however, fell short once again in their quest to reach the NBA Finals. After knocking out Portland in the first round last season, the Grizzlies were eliminated in six games by eventual champion Golden State. It was a painful exit for the Grizzlies who at one point led that second-round series, 2-1.
There’s nowhere to go but up for the Grizzlies who have now made five consecutive playoff appearances. They have an excellent chance of finally achieving that finals dream with their veteran lineup remaining pretty much intact this season. The Grizzlies got a huge boost this past offseason when they re-signed All-Star center Marc Gasol. He was a consistent force for Memphis underneath the basket last campaign, averaging a career-best 17.4 points per game last season.
For the Grizzlies to snap their losing skid against the Cavaliers tonight, they will need to bring their vaunted pressure defense. The Grizzlies allowed just 95.1 points per game a season ago to rank second in the NBA in scoring defense. They will need to put the clamps on LeBron James who averaged 22.5 points in their two games against the Cavs last season.
The Grizzlies are 7-3 SU and 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.
