Game Time: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 13th, 2022 

Venue:  FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee

Where to Watch:  NBA League Pass

Opening NBA Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Spread: NL

BetMGM:  Spread:  NL

VegasInsider:  Spread:  Memphis -4.5; O/U 228.5

WynnBet: Spread: Memphis -4; O/U 229

Timberwolves: 20-21, 9th place Western Conference

Grizzlies: 29-14, 4th place Western Conference

A Western Conference matchup between opponents that have recent high draft picks as their star players… The Grizzlies have the better recent pick.  

The Minnesota Timberwolves are missing a key piece. The Minnesota Timberwolves are missing a complete team.  For over two decades now the Wolves have relied on having one big time player and surrounding that guy with a roster of “potential” (some of which never materializes) and overpaid vets and undrafted free agents to fill the bench.  The Timberwolves have 5 wins over their last ten games.  They have gone 6-3-1 ATS during that stretch.  They can make you money, but they can’t make the playoffs. The problem with the Timberwolves is ownership.  No one ever seems empowered to make the big move… or maybe GM’s are too scared to make the big move?  The big move now would be to jettison C Karl-Anthony Towns, who leads the team in points and rebounds.  There is nothing wrong with Karl, except… he bottles up the possessions… and he is always surrounded by potential that will never get enough balls (experience) to meet or exceed that potential.  They now have SG Anthony Edwards the #1 pick from the 2020 draft.  AE1 has proven he can score big in bunches, AE1 has proven he is worthy of that #1 pick… so build the team around him.  The only way to build that team is to trade Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell in separate deals (they were friends since AAU days, you don’t want to keep a bitter player) for players and picks.  Get Anthony Edwards real help… and any savings in cap space should be spent in restricted free agency… not free agency.  A team like the Wolves can only benefit from forcing division and conference rivals into overspending… they can miss entirely by signing a big FA that doesn’t pan out.

The Memphis Grizzlies have ten wins in their last ten games.  They are on a ten game win streak.  The wins are all due to their one star Ja Morant.  The kid who wound up playing in the wrong gym during a Vegas weekend of high schoolers that famously landed him at an unheralded college.  The Kid has a father that transformed their backyard into a community basketball camp that benefitted his son in a way that no AAU program ever could.  The Kid who smiles, plays with emotion, has the athleticism and skill to be a league MVP.   The Kid has arrived.  Unfortunately Ja has overshadowed his high school-age teammate Zion Williamson in the same way that Kevin Durant overshadowed Greg Oden. Ja has future MVP’s, all-star games, and maybe even titles coming his way.  Zion may never again play a complete season in the NBA.  Whether it is for the New Orleans Pelicans or any franchise that the Pelicans try to peddle Zion off to, he won't play a full season and playoffs ever again… Ja was the right pick of their draft.  The Grizzlies also have a strong supporting cast to put around Ja.  SG Dillon Brooks, Pf Jaren Jackson Jr, C Steven Adams, and even slow-mo SF/SG/PG Kyle Anderson.  Having a good team around an all-star player is wonderful… the Boston Celtics have a redundant, small, underskilled team around TWO-stars and can’t win games. Shout outs are deserved for SG Desmond Bane and PF Ziaire Williams who really could take over the scoring if key guys stumble onto the IR. The bettor should take notice that the Grizzlies have gone 9-1 ATS over their last ten games.  So, not only are they winning but they are covering spreads.

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The Timberwolves are 20-21 on the season, but 21-19-1 ATS,  They have logged 22 Overs and 19 Unders.  They are 9-11 in road games.

The Grizzlies are 29-14 on the season, but 28-15 ATS.  They have notched 15-8 in home games.

The Timberwolves are 11th in scoring with 110 ppg, 11th in rebounds with 45.5 per game, and 21st in AST/TO ratio with 1.6.  They are shooting an awful 25th in FG%, 21st in 3PT%, and 24th in FT%.  The shooting woes are compounded by a defense that ranks 19th and gives up 109.2 ppg.

The Grizzlies are 3rd in scoring with 112.2 ppg, 1st in rebounds with 48.3 per game, and 5th in AST/TO ratio with 1.9.  They are not great shooters, barely average actually… They are shooting 16th in FG%, 17th in 3PT%, and 26th in FT%... the exceptionalism comes from Ja.  The defense is as average as it gets with a ranking of 15th while giving up 107.9 ppg.

Our prediction for Thursday, January 13th is….  Grizzlies 118 - Timberwolves 102

The Grizzlies are on a roll and the Timberwolves have been built to not be able to stop a team from winning.  The Grizzlies will win ando cover.  Put a grand on it and shoot me a comment on what you buy with winnings.

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Memphis is 6-0 ATS in January Games.

Memphis is 11-2 While avenging a loss to an opponent.

Memphis is 4-0 ATS versus Minnesota over the last 3 seasons.

Timberwolves: SG J Nowell (ankle) Quest ** SF L. Bolmaro (covid) Quest ** PG M Wright IV (covid) Quest… ( maybe cut)

Grizzlies: SG Dillon Brooks, C Steven Adams (covid) Out 

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

Grizzlies: SF Kyle Anderson, PF Ziaire Williams, C Jaren Jackson JR, PG Ja Morant, SG Desmond Bane 

Timberwolves

Points: Karl-Anthony Towns 24.6

Assists: D’Angelo Russell 7.0

Rebounds: Karl-Anthony Towns 9.3

Steals: Jarred Vanderbilt 1.6

Blocks: Greg Monroe 1.3

Grizzlies

Points: Ja Morant 24.9

Assists: Ja Morant 6.7

Rebounds: Steven Adams 9.4

Steals: De’Anthony Melton 1.6

Blocks: Jaren Jackson Jr. 2.0

Timberwolves: Chris Finch.  Coach Finch is new… Coils he be the next Jimmy Lipper?

Grizzlies: Taylor Jenkins. Coach Jenkins is new on the NBA head coaching scene.  Could he be the new Nick Nurse?