The Memphis Grizzlies (9-5 SU, 5-8-1 ATS) visit Smoothie King Center on Tuesday to take on the New Orleans Pelicans (7-6, 6-7) in their first meeting of the season. Find out which team has the edge in our Grizzlies vs Pelicans prediction.
Grizzlies vs Pelicans Sportsbook Odds
The Pelican opened as the 1.5-point favorite at home with the total set at 229 points. The OVER is 4-2 in the last six meetings between the two teams while Memphis has won four of its last five contests against New Orleans, so you may want to take the road underdogs in your Grizzlies vs Pelicans prediction.
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Jackson To Make Season Debut On Tuesday
The Grizzlies picked up their second straight win on Friday as they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-103. Ja Morant had a double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds while Desmond Bane (24 points) and Dillon Brooks (21 points) also scored 20-plus for Memphis. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 28.
Morant had a scorching start to the season with 33.3 points per game in October but has slowed down significantly in November, averaging 24.4 points per contest. Memphis’ star point guard has still been one of the NBA’s top performers, though, ranking ninth in points (28.8) and 10th in assists (7.0).
The Grizzlies will be getting a big addition to their lineup on Tuesday as Jaren Jackson Jr. (foot) is expected to make his season debut. The power forward finished second in the NBA with 2.3 blocks per game last year while averaging 16.3 points – fourth-best on Memphis.
Williamson Leads Pelicans To Victory Over Rockets
The Pelicans picked up a win in their last outing, topping the Houston Rockets 119-106 at home. Jalen Green had 33 points for the Rockets to lead all scorers but a balanced effort from the Pelicans saw Zion Williamson (26 points), Larry Nance Jr. (22) and Brandon Ingram (20) all score 20-plus to lead New Orleans to victory.
After missing the entire 2021-22 season, Williamson has come back strong, scoring 23.5 points per game to lead the Pelicans. The power forward is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s matchup, though, due to a right ankle sprain. On the flip side, CJ McCollum has had a bit of a slow start to his campaign, averaging just 17.8 points per contest – nearly seven less than his output from last season.
Grizzlies: Keys To Win
Memphis started the season with four wins in its first five games, thanks largely to some superhuman efforts from Morant. Since his scoring pace has slowed down, the Grizzlies haven’t quite been able to fill the void. Though Jackson will likely be on a minutes restriction in his first few games back, he should give a boost to Memphis’ offense.
Pelicans: Keys To Win
The Pelicans have a deep offense this season with six players averaging more than 10 points per contest, compared to just four on the Grizzlies. If Williamson is good to go, he’ll be a good scoring match for Morant, and then the rest of the lineup should – in theory – be able to outscore Memphis’ roster. McCollum has been cold in November, scoring 10 or fewer points in three of his seven games – he’ll need to be much better if the Pelicans are going to win.
NBA Computer Pick: Grizzlies +3.5
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