by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Jan 07, 2022
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Where to watch: BSSC, BSSE-MEM
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: NL
BetMGM: Grizzlies -3.5
Caesars: NL
Season record
Grizzlies: 26-14 (4th place, Western Conference)
Clippers: 19-20 (8th place, Western Conference)
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Grizzlies - Clippers preview and analysis
Recent form
Grizzlies: won seven straight; won 118-88 vs. Pistons on Thursday
Clippers: lost three of four; lost 106-89 at Suns on Thursday
I highly doubt you reached the near-quarter mark of the season and thought to yourself that the Memphis Grizzlies would be one of the best teams in the NBA.
They're five games out from the Phoenix Suns for the top spot in the Western Conference, but the Grizzlies have won seven straight and look like one of the more dangerous teams in the NBA.
Memphis will try to push the winning streak to eight when it faces the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday. Once again, no one will ever get used to it not being Staples Center and I'll stand by that proclamation that everything will be fine.
Not only have the Grizzlies put up a touchdown's worth of wins in a row, but they've strung some victories together that can be considered impressive. They knocked off the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays by double digits; they defeated the Suns on the road by one point; and even knocked off the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers at home.
Memphis has won four on the road during this streak with three of them being playoff teams. It's a new era in Memphis, one led by Ja Morant taking the league over by storm. Morant, who is on the verge from his first all-star game, is averaging 25 points and 6.6 assists. He finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists in a 30-point win against the Detroit Pistons at home on Thursday.
Memphis shot 49 percent while holding the Pistons to just 34.3 from the floor. Dillon Brooks had 18 points as the Grizzlies won the game without Desmond Bane.
"Guys understood what the game plan was," Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said of taking an early lead and building it through the game. "I thought they came out and did a great job and set the tone in that first quarter."
I highly doubt you reached the near-quarter mark of the season and thought to yourself that the Memphis Grizzlies would be one of the best teams in the NBA.
They're five games out from the Phoenix Suns for the top spot in the Western Conference, but the Grizzlies have won seven straight and look like one of the more dangerous teams in the NBA.
Memphis will try to push the winning streak to eight when it faces the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday. Once again, no one will ever get used to it not being Staples Center and I'll stand by that proclamation that everything will be fine.
Not only have the Grizzlies put up a touchdown's worth of wins in a row, but they've strung some victories together that can be considered impressive. They knocked off the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays by double digits; they defeated the Suns on the road by one point; and even knocked off the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers at home.
Memphis has won four on the road during this streak with three of them being playoff teams. It's a new era in Memphis, one led by Ja Morant taking the league over by storm. Morant, who is on the verge from his first all-star game, is averaging 25 points and 6.6 assists. He finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists in a 30-point win against the Detroit Pistons at home on Thursday.
Memphis shot 49 percent while holding the Pistons to just 34.3 from the floor. Dillon Brooks had 18 points as the Grizzlies won the game without Desmond Bane.
"Guys understood what the game plan was," Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said of taking an early lead and building it through the game. "I thought they came out and did a great job and set the tone in that first quarter."
These aren't the old Grit & Grind Grizzlies from years past; they're a group that can shoot, is athletic and can still play defense on any given night. This is what the Clippers can be when fully healthy, but they're not and are just unwatchable without Paul George and/or Kawhi Leonard.
The Clippers are coming off a 17-point loss to the Phoenix Suns in which their old point guard, Chris Paul, had a triple-double of 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to hand the Clippers their third loss in four games. Slighting on the defense may not be fair; the Clippers held the Suns to just 41.1 percent shooting and Devin Booker even shot 5 of 22. But the Suns had a 21-8 edge in offensive rebounds.
"We scraped and competed," Clippers coach Ty Lue said. "That is a good ball club over there and they played well. Their stars took over down the stretch and took over the game."
The Clippers are coming off a 17-point loss to the Phoenix Suns in which their old point guard, Chris Paul, had a triple-double of 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to hand the Clippers their third loss in four games. Slighting on the defense may not be fair; the Clippers held the Suns to just 41.1 percent shooting and Devin Booker even shot 5 of 22. But the Suns had a 21-8 edge in offensive rebounds.
"We scraped and competed," Clippers coach Ty Lue said. "That is a good ball club over there and they played well. Their stars took over down the stretch and took over the game."
Prediction
The Grizzlies are 6-1 in their last seven against the spread and have won four straight. Given how this line looks early, it seems too good to not take Memphis at -3.5. The Grizzlies are on such a roll right now and have handled the great balance of winning and taking care of business on the books. Give me Memphis again. Grizzlies by 12
Betting trends
The Grizzlies are 21-6 ATS in their last 27 following three straight unders.
The Grizzlies are 7-4 ATS over the past three seasons when allowing 90 points or less the previous game.
The Clippers are 3-10 ATS this season when playing eight games or more in 14 days.
Projected starting lineup
Grizzlies:
PG: Ja Morant
SG: Desmond Bane
SF: Dillon Brooks
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr.
C: Steven Adams
SF: Dillon Brooks
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr.
C: Steven Adams
Clippers:
PG: Reggie Jackson
SG: Eric Bledsoe
SF: Terance Mann
PF: Nicolas Batum
C: Serge Ibaka
SF: Terance Mann
PF: Nicolas Batum
C: Serge Ibaka
Key injuries
Grizzlies: Kyle Anderson (back, out)
Clippers: Paul George (elbow, out), Kawhi Leonard (ACL, out), Nicolas Batum (ankle, questionable), Luke Kennard, Ivica Zubac, Isaiah Hartenstein (COVID, out)
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
