Game Time: 6:00 PM ET, Saturday, April 9th, 2022 

Venue:   FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee

Where to Watch: NBA TV

DraftKings:  Spread:  

Fanduel:  Spread:  NL

BetMGM:  Spread: NL

Pelicans: 36-44, 9th place Western Conference

Grizzlies: 55-25, 2nd place Western Conference

An NBA Western Conference matchup between a team that owes the Lakers a thank-you card and a team that were so good this season they never even considered the Laskers… except they might also owe the Lakers a thank you card!  The New Orleans Pelicans saved the season (for a few more days) when they made a trade deadline move to acquire SG CJ McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers. CJ quickly became the leading scorer in New Orleans and took a huge amount of pressure off the mild mannered SF Brandon Ingram. Having CJ and Brandon in the fold also helps as they prepare to trade Zion Williamson this offseason. Even though Zion only played about 1 season’s worth of games in his 3 seasons with the Pelicans… there will still be a market (much smaller of course) for his services.  That was what the dunk video was about.  Zion rehabbed away from the team and Zion’s family made it clear that New Orleans was too small a market to properly promote Zion’s ad revenue abilities… a move or change is needed.  Also The Pelicans have spent a decade with great power forwards on the team but simply not playing for them because of injury.  They would be better off never putting all their eggs in a basket like that again.  A small market team NEEDS to build at every position as if they will never get a true Superstar… because even if they do luck into one, HE WILL WANT OUT.  (that goes for Sacramento, OKC, Charlotte, San Antonio,... does Bangor Maine have a team?)  The Memphis Grizzlies are in the small market boat… but they lucked into something great… Their superstar is humble enough and talented enough to enjoy simply winning and letting the chips fall where they may.  I am talking about PG Ja Morant… a true MVP candidate every year in the years to come.  They also have a deep and talented roster around Ja that has allowed the Grizzlies to win 90% of the games Ja has missed  with injury this season.  The loudest cheers for the Grizzlies wins have come from Ja in street clothes on the bench.  Ja could have come back a few games ago if needed, but SG Desmond Bane, SF Dillon Brooks, PF Jaren Jackson Jr, C Steven Adams, and the best backup point guard in the league (sorry Lonzo) Tyus Jones have allowed Ja to simply stay rested and recovered for the Playoffs.  The Grizzlies have a near perfect team. The Grizzlies also have the Lakers 2022 draft pick if it falls out of the top ten.  As it stands right now the team is among the ten worst teams in the league… and the Pelicans will keep it, but if someone jumps the Lakers pick in the NBA Draft Lottery and the pick falls to 11th… the Grizzlies will get it!  And then the Grizzlies would owe that thank you card to the Lakers.  

The New Orleans Pelicans have won 7 of their last ten games. They went 7-3 ATS during that stretch.  They are on a 2-game winning streak, having just beaten Sacramento and Portland.  In the big win over Portland (127-94) SG CJ McCollum stung his old team for 23 points with 5 3-pointers made.  It must feel nice.  Another former TrailBlazer on the Pelicans, SF Larry Nance Jr put in 12 points in just 17 minutes of play. Any game against the Trail Blazers will be a farce until they complete the course of action and trade PG Damian Lilliard this off season.  As it stands right now they simply don’t have any quality players in uniform and they don’t want to open next season the same way.  As for the Pelicans at the moment they are winning, the young players are happy and they are focused on the upcoming “play-in” game… not this one.

The Memphis Grizzlies have won 7 of their last ten games, which is actually a bad stretch of ten games for them.  They are on a 2-game losing streak.  They went 6-3-1 ATS during that stretch.  The two recent losses were to the Utah Jazz and most recently the Denver Nuggets.  Both games featured heavy REST for the core players on the starting unit… No Grizzly played for more than 26 minutes in either game… and the high minute player was SF Dillon Brooks (used to be SG until SG Desmond Bane took that job) who missed most of this season and is still working his way back into the swing of things.  This team will start the Playoffs ready and healthy.  They are not focused on the New Orleans Pelicans whatsoever.

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The Pelicans are 36-44 on the season, but 41-38-1 ATS.  They have logged 30 Overs, 48 Unders, and 2 Push.  They are 17-23 in road games.

The Memphis Grizzlies are 55-25 on the season, but 51-28-1 ATS.  They have notched 41 Overs, 38 Unders, and 1 Push.  They are 29-10 in home games.

The New Orleans Pelicans are 21st in scoring with 109.3 ppg, 9th in rebounds with 45.5 per game, and 15th in AST/TO ratio with 1.8.  On defense they rank 13th while holding opponents to 109.7 ppg.

The Memphis Grizzlies are 2nd in scoring with 115.4 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 109.5 ppg.

Our prediction for Saturday, April 9th is…..   Grizzlies 118 - Pelicans 111

Both teams will be resting key guys after short runs. The simple fact is the Grizzlies are a much deeper team.  The subs on one are better than the subs on another.

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(will update tonight when the numbers settle)

Pelicans: SF Brandon Ingram (hammy) Quest ** PF Zion Williamson (foot) Out ** PG Kira Lewis Jr (knee) Out 

Grizzlies: PG Ja Morant (knee) Out ** SG Jarrett Culver (knee) Quest ** 

Pelicans: SF Herbert Jones, PF Jaxson Hayes, C Jonas Valanciunas, SG CJ McCollum, PG Devonte Graham

Grizzlies: PF Jaren Jackson Jr, SF Dillon Brooks, C Steven Adams, PG Tyus Jones, SG Desmond Bane

Pelicans: Willie Green

Grizzlies: Taylor Jenkins