Memphis Grizzlies (51-31) at Los Angeles Lakers (43-39)
Game Info: Saturday, April 24, 2023 at 10:00 p.m. EST (crypto.com Arena)
Betting Odds: Lakers (-4) / Over/Under (221)
Pick: Lakers (-4)
Let's start the week off inside the crypto.com Arena, where the Memphis Grizzlies will look to even up the series 2-2 against the Los Angeles Lakers before heading back into their home arena.
Memphis came out the gates in embarrassing fashion a few nights ago in game 3, losing the 1st quarter by a score of 35-9. Although they played the rest of the game much better, they left themselves in too big of a hole to be able to mount a historic comeback on the road. Now, they will have to regroup and set their eyes on a crucial game 4, where their backs will be against the wall to avoid a dreaded 3-1 deficit. If they are going to right the ship, Ja Morant will need to get a bit of help from his supporting cast in this one though. He was able to put up an astounding 45-13-9 stat line in game 3, but with the Grizzlies only getting 12 points off the bench between 3 players, they were not able to keep up with the high-flying Lakers offense. Memphis seems to have an identity to be unlikable around the league at the moment... can they use that to their advantage in this one to steal a game on the road?
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Los Angeles delivered a drubbing in game 3 after Dillon Brooks made the mistake of calling out LeBron James in his media interviews in between games. Even though James and the Lakers talked about denying using his comments as bulletin board material, it would have been impossible to completely tune out what was happening across the room on the other side of the ball. After completely dominating the Grizzlies in their prior matchup, time will tell if the Lakers can build on that and bring their best once again. If they are to do so, their stellar defensive play will play a huge role. In their last 2 games, they have only allowed the Grizzlies to score 204 points combined. This has allowed them to break out and get in transition as soon as possible after securing a rebound. Using the home crowd to their advantage, can the Lakers move one step closer to advancing to the next round on Monday night?
Betting trends to consider in this matchup:
- Memphis is 2-13 ATS when playing as the road underdog
- The Grizzlies are 14-26-1 ATS when playing away from home
- Los Angeles is 2-1 ATS in Playoff games
With every passing game, the buzz around both teams seems to heighten each matchup higher and higher. Heading into Monday nights game, this is exactly what has happened. Can the young villain Memphis squad get things right to even things up or will the veteran Lakers put themselves in a prime position to take the series? We shall see the outcome very soon, but I will put my money on James and the Lakers to take care of their business by securing a win by at least a few baskets!
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