Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors Betting Preview
Where: Oracle Arena — Oakland, California
When: Friday, January 6, 2017, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Memphis Grizzlies (+13) vs. Golden State Warriors (-13); total: 214.5– VIEW ALL NBA LINES HERE
TV Broadcast: ESPN
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Betting on the Memphis Grizzlies (22-16)
Point Spread: +13
Memphis has gone 1-2 SU and ATS in its current four-game road trip, which concludes tonight with a matchup against Golden State.
The Grizzlies are coming off setbacks to the Lakers and Clippers, during which their defense has taken a step down, allowing 115 or more points on above 50 percent shooting in both games. That’s obviously not a good sign, as the Warriors lead the league in scoring with nearly 120 points per contest.
However, the Memphis defense proved earlier this season that it has what it takes to slow down Steve Kerr’s troops, who were blown out by 21 points back at the FedEx Forum just a month ago.
Seven Memphis players scored in double figures there, with both Marc Gasol and Tony Allen posting a team-high 19 points. And what’s more impressive is the fact that they got the win without the services of the then-injured Mike Conley, who dished out a season-high 12 dimes together with 17 points in Wednesday’s loss to the Clips.
Conley and Gasol seriously need to bring their A game, especially if the Grizzlies fail to hold off Golden State from piling up the points. The two are averaging 19.0 and 22.5 points, respectively, through two games in January.
Betting on the Golden State Warriors (31-5)
Point Spread: -13
Since their loss on Christmas Day in Cleveland, the Warriors have bulldozed through their next four games. They’ve beaten each foe by at least eight points while racking up 120-plus points on three occasions, including Wednesday night’s 125-117 home win against a Damian Lillard-less Portland squad.
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant each had a helluva night in that contest, finishing with 35 and 30 points, respectively. Draymond Green, meanwhile, did a little bit of everything as usual with nine points, seven boards and a game-high 11 assists.
Having such a star-studded starting lineup, excluding Zaza Pachulia, make the Warriors almost unbeatable. But they’ve been vulnerable on nights when their shooting betrays them or when they commit too many unforced errors.
Golden State is 23rd in the league in turnovers with at least 15 per contest this season, which is a weakness that Memphis hopes to expose again. The Grizzlies forced the Warriors to a season-high of 23 turnovers in their first regular-season encounter last month.
Writer’s Prediction
Golden State (-13) wins and covers.
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