Memphis vs LA NBA Betting Odds
Since the 2013-14 NBA season began, the Memphis Grizzlies haven’t played the same kind of defense they did under head coach Lionel Hollins. [ad-4468020]
Memphis (3-5) @ Los Angeles (4-6)
Friday, Nov. 15 10:30 PM ET @ Staples Center
Spread: Memphis -3.5
O/U: 199
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They’re giving up nearly 100 points per contest, and they have a 3-5 record as a result. That said, they look like defensive juggernauts compared to the Los Angeles Lakers, who are 28th in the league in points allowed through 10 games.
Memphis
The Grizzlies may have yet to win a road game, but the season is young, and quite frankly, the Los Angeles Lakers could be the cure they need to remedy that category.
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Dating back to last season, the Grizzlies have struggled putting the ball in the basket. They’re just 23rd in the league in points per game, and they’re in the bottom 10 in three-point percentage. All that said, they have a true No. 1 option in Mike Conley, who is averaging 20.1 points per contest and will look to take full advantage of a porous Lakers defense that has been especially soft out on the perimeter.
Defending the Lakers is far different this season than it has been in the past. For more than a decade it’s been about stopping Kobe Bryant. Barring some sort of miracle return, the Grizzlies won’t have to worry about that. Last season, Dwight Howard was a threat in the paint. Again, scratch that off the list of Memphis’ concerns.
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This time around, look for Pau Gasol to be the No. 1 option, and don’t be shocked if the Grizzlies bring the double-team, making the rest of the Lakers beat them at Staples Center.
Lakers
Like the Grizzlies, the Lakers have been unimposing at best on offense. Unlike the Grizzlies, they don’t have a go-to option they can rely on in desperate times of much-needed points.
The best player on the Lakers this season has been Gasol, but the truth is that the starting lineup has been awful. Mike D’Antoni is running an 11-man rotation for a reason, and without the Black Mamba in the lineup, finding buckets is a task easier said than done.
Both Memphis and Los Angeles are coming off of double-digit losses. In both games, Pau Gasol and Mike Conley managed to score 25 and 29 points respectively. Stopping Conley is going to become a priority, but if the Lakers are slow to rotate, players such as Zach Randolph, Mike Miller and Tony Allen could do some damage on the perimeter.
When it comes down to it, it’s tough to trust either of these teams. That said, Memphis appears to be less of a question mark night in and night out, making them the safer choice come Friday night.
Neither team will impress the world with its offense or its defense, but a low-scoring Western Conference battle should be fun to watch for those who appreciate gritty, if not at-times sloppy basketball.
Prediction: Memphis 95 – Lakers 90
