The Portland Trail Blazers (5-1 SU, 5-1 ATS) will look to fire up another win streak Wednesday when they welcome the Memphis Grizzlies (4-3, 2-4-1) to Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Can Portland continue its impressive start to the season? Find out in our Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers prediction.
Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers Sportsbook Odds
Despite Portland’s hot start to the season, the oddsmakers are giving Memphis the nod in this one as the Grizzlies opened as the 2-point favorite on the road with the total set at 227.5 points. The UNDER is 5-1 in the last six meetings between the teams while Portland has won four of its last five contests against Memphis, so you may want to go against the oddsmakers in your Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers prediction.
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Grizzlies Lose Again Despite Morant’s Best Efforts
The Grizzlies lost their second straight game to the Utah Jazz on Monday, falling 121-105 on the road. Lauri Markkanen was hot for Utah with 31 points and 11 boards while receiving plenty of offensive support as five others finished in double digits for the Jazz. Meanwhile, it was another phenomenal night for Ja Morant, who led all scorers with 37 points, but only two others topped 10 points for Memphis in the loss.
Morant, who ranks third in the NBA with 33.3 points per game this season, has led Memphis to a top-five offense so far, but the Grizzlies have not been able to outscore their defensive flaws. Memphis is giving up 121.4 points per game through six contests, which ranks ahead of only the Golden State Warriors (122 points) for the worst mark in the league.
Trail Blazers Defeat Rockets Without Lillard
After having their five-game win streak snapped last Wednesday, the Trail Blazers got right back into the win column on Friday, defeating the Houston Rockets 125-111. Anfernee Simons led Portland with 30 points while center Jusuf Nurkic was a force, collecting 27 points and 15 rebounds for a double-double. Eric Gordon topped Houston with just 18 points.
The Trail Blazers didn’t seem to miss leading scorer Damian Lillard (calf) all too much in Friday’s contest, though his absence might be felt against the Grizzlies as the point guard has been ruled out. The bulk of the offensive workload will therefore fall to Simons, who is the team’s second-leading scorer this season at 20.5 points per game. The shooting guard has scored 29 or more in two of his last three outings.
Grizzlies: Keys To Win
The Grizzlies have been porous defensively so they’ll probably have to rely on outscoring the Trail Blazers in this one. With Lillard out for Portland, the Trail Blazers really don’t have a match for Morant. If the Grizzlies star can do his usual thing and get some support, Memphis could come out with the road win.
Trail Blazers: Keys To Win
With Lillard still out, the Trail Blazers will need to score by committee. They got it done last game with Simons and Nurkic combining for nearly 60 points, but can they both produce at that level again? They’ll probably have to if they’re going to keep up with Morant and company.
NBA Computer Pick: Blazers +4.5
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