 |
vs.
|
 |
Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder
Point Spread: Oklahoma City -6
Money Line: Grizzlies +240, Thunder -280
Over/Under: 197
Click Here for more Free Expert NBA Playoff Basketball Picks
The Memphis Grizzlies head back to Oklahoma City Arena this Wednesday night for a crucial Game 5 of their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder with the series knotted at two games apiece. Tip-off is set for 9:30 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
Memphis will need to quickly recover from Monday night’s 133-123 triple-overtime loss as a two-point home favorite in Game 4. The physical as well as mental toll this game took on the team remains to be seen, but a loss in Wednesday night’s game could end up sealing its fate in this series. The Grizzlies split the first two games of this series on the road with a 114-101 victory in Game 1 and a 111-102 loss in Game 2 as a 6 ½-point road underdog in each.
Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol combined for 60 points and 37 rebounds in Monday night’s dramatic loss. Randolph leads the team this postseason with 23.3 points and has 11.1 rebounds a game while Gasol is averaging 16 points and a team-high 12.5 rebounds a game. Mike Conley has also been a key part of the offense with 15.9 points and 6.1 assists a game.
The Grizzlies are averaging 102.5 points a game and shooting 44.8 percent from the field, but just 32.2 percent from three-point range. They have averaged 110 points through the first four games of this series, but have given up an average of 109.5 points a game to the Thunder.
Oklahoma’s win on the road in Game 4 left it 2-2 straight-up and 2-1-1 against the spread away from home this postseason. The Thunder are 4-1 SU, but 2-3 ATS at home in the postseason. They are currently 34-12 SU at home this season but just 22-23-1 ATS.
Russell Westbrook led all scorers on Monday night with 40 points to go along with Kevin Durant’s 35. This dynamic duo has combined for an average of 57 points in Oklahoma City’s nine playoff games, which is just under 55 percent of the team’s total points. Serge Ibaka and James Harden are each averaging just over 11 points a game and Ibaka leads in rebounds with 10 a game.
The Thunder are averaging 105.4 points a game this postseason and shooting 42.8 percent from the field. They are still struggling from three-point range, shooting less than 34 percent and went just 5-for-24 in Monday night’s win. Oklahoma City is hitting over 80 percent of its free-throws and was 42-of-50 from the foul-line in Game 4.
Memphis is 3-1-1 ATS in its last five games on the road and 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in seven of its 10 playoff games.
Oklahoma City is 2-4 ATS in its last six home games and 2-3 ATS in its last five games overall. The total is 4-4-1 in its nine playoff games.
Head-to-head, the Grizzlies won three of four games SU in the regular season and were 3-1 ATS. This series is tied 2-2 both SU and ATS. The total has gone ‘over’ in eight of their last nine meetings.
Oklahoma City, by virtue of coming out on top in Monday night’s marathon, grabbed all the momentum in this series and will use it to gain the edge in the series with a win on Wednesday night that covers the six-point spread.
The odds makers have the Oklahoma City Thunder as a -6 point favorite with an over/under of 197.
Check out the latest NBA Basketball Playoff Odds here.
Need more help making your picks winners? Check out our top handicappers.
Bet on the Grizzlies/Thunder game: “Where the NBA Lines Originate” and get a generous 50% sign up bonus (up to $500) at Bookmaker.com.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.