Game Time: 7:30 PM ET, Thursday, April 21st, 2022 

Venue:    Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Where to Watch: TNT

DraftKings:  Spread: Grizzlies -1.5; O/U 238

Fanduel:  Spread:  Grizzlies -1.5; O/U 237.5

BetMGM:  Spread: Grizzlies -1.5; O/U 237.5

Grizzlies: 56-26, 2nd place Western Conference.  1-1 Playoffs

T-Wolves: 46-36, 7th place Western Conference. 1-1 Playoffs

A first round NBA Playoff matchup that is building to a tense crescendo. The 2nd place Grizzlies were dominant this year… they were a revelation.  Destroying the competition with youth, athleticism and skill.  The Timberwolves did their job however… They stole a game in Memphis… and in doing so the T-Wolves stole home court advantage for now… How did the T-Wolves do it?... By using their own youth, athleticism, and skill… and length!  

The Memphis Grizzlies were supposed to walk to the Conference Finals to face the Phoenix Suns… yet now both teams find themselves having given up a game on their home courts. Memphis spanked the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last Playoff game 124-96!  It was the first game that gave them trouble as they lost 130-117!  In that first game the Grizzlies could not overcome 29 points form Karl-Anthony Towns and 36 points from Anthony Edwards.  It was too much for the Grizzlies to manage… especially during PG Ja Morant’s first game back in the line-up… and all the kinks the rest of the roster had to work out while deferring or asserting themselves.  By Game 2 they had figured it out.  In the Game 2 win… Towns and Edwards seemed invisible… while Ja Morant had 23 points and 10 assists.  That was more like it… a big win… a big win ATS.

The Minnesota Timberwolves did lose the last game… badly.  In that game PG Patrick Beverley and SG D’Angelo Russell were both -26 on the +/- stat line.  It was sad and scary for the T-Wolves fans who had hyped themselves up off of such a big first game upset!  Another wildly telling thing about the Game 2 loss to the Grizzlies was backup SF/PF Jaden McDaniels going 1-7 from the field with 0-4 from 3-point land.  Jaden finished with only 2 points… it was as if the Grizzlies had laughingly nullified Jaden’s 6’11 height and turned him into a smaller version of himself.  Jaden got 3 blocks which may have encouraged Coach Chris Finch to leave Jaden in for 20+ minutes… but ultimately it was a mistake and the rookie hurt more than helped.  This is ultimately the reason that Game 1 will be seen as a fluke.  The T-Wolves have a good roster but soooo much youth and inexperience that whether it is Edwards or McDaniels or Naz Reid… you never know if you just got their best game or if they are just getting started… They don’t know it either.

Including last night's winner on the Mem/Min total, Ben Burns is a PERFECT 5-0 with his L5 "top rated" plays, in all sports. Going back further and looking specifically at hoops, we find his top rated plays are on a LEGENDARY $120.6K PROFIT HEATER. Ben's only postseason "BLUE CHIP" came in the play-in tourney and resulted in a DOUBLE-DIGIT WINNER! Get Ben Burns’ picks!  Stay with us all throughout the NBA Playoffs and let’s grow that bankroll! You can discover the best  picks right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers. NCAAF, NFL, MLB, college football… get positive value from all your bets! Expert picks!  Fun fact… winning a wager is much better than making a wager!

The Grizzlies are 57-27 on the season, but 53-30-1 ATS.  They have logged 44 Overs, 39 Unders, and 1 Push.  They are 26-15 in away games.

The Timberwolves are 48-37 on the season, but 43-39-2 ATS.  They have notched 51 Overs and 33 Unders.  They are 27-15 in home games.

The Grizzlies are 2nd in the NBA in scoring with 115.6 ppg, 1st in rebounds with 49-2 per game, and 5th in AST/TO ratio with 2.0.  On defense they rank 12th while holding opponents to 109.9 ppg.

The T-Wolves are 1st in the NBA in scoring with 115.9 ppg, 16th in rebounds with 44.2 per game, and 14th in AST/TO ratio with 1.8.  On defense they rank 24th while allowing 113.3 ppg from opponents. The T-Wolves were 2-8 ATS during the last ten games of the season.

 

Our prediction for Thursday, April 21st is….. Grizzlies 132 - Timberwolves 119

The Grizzlies weathered the storm.  Yes, the T-Wolves will be at home, but they won’t get the benefit of a Grizzlies team that is not dialed in again.  The bet is for the Grizzlies to win and cover the spread.  

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Memphis is 53-44 ATS versus Minnesota since 1996.

7 of 12 games in this series have gone Over the last 3 seasons.

Minnesota is 18-7 ATS revenging a road loss against an opponent.

Grizzlies: only a couple of guys deep on their bench to begin with… and not in the rotation to begin with… will miss the game from injury.  This is the Playoffs everyone of importance will play.

The Timberwolves: No injuries to report.

Grizzlies: PF Jaren Jackson Jr, SF Dillon Brooks, C Steven ASdams, PG Ja Morant, SG Desmond Bane

Timberwolves: SF Anthony Edwards, PF Jarred Vanderbilt, C Karl-Anthoy Towns, PG Patrick Beverley, SG D'Angelo Russell

Grizzlies: Taylor Jenkins

Timberwolves: Chris Finch