The Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies had plenty to play for in the regular-season finale and the stakes will be even higher when the teams square off again on Friday in the play-in tournament. It will be a rematch from six days ago, when the Warriors secured the No. 8 seed with a 113-101 victory that dropped Memphis to the No. 9 seed. That victory allowed Golden State to play on its home court again despite Wednesday's 103-100 setback at the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Grizzlies kept their postseason hopes alive by beating the San Antonio Spurs.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET from the Chase Center in San Francisco. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Warriors as five-point favorites, while the over-under for total points scored is 221 in the latest Grizzlies vs. Warriors odds. Before you make any Warriors vs. Grizzlies picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned over $9,100 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up almost $900 on its top-rated picks this season and entered the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs on a stunning 99-66 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread dating back to last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Grizzlies vs. Warriors. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Warriors vs. Grizzlies:
- Grizzlies vs. Warriors spread: Warriors -5
- Grizzlies vs. Warriors over-under: 221 points
- Grizzlies vs. Warriors money line: Warriors -200; Grizzlies +175
- MEM: The Grizzlies are 6-1 in their last seven, only losing to Golden State
- GS: The Warriors have won six straight and 10 of 11 at home
Why the Grizzlies can cover
Center Jonas Valanciunas scored 23 points and grabbed 23 rebounds in the 100-96 win over San Antonio for his NBA-leading fourth 20-20 game of the season. He also had a huge game in Sunday's loss at Golden State with 29 points and 16 boards, giving him six consecutive double-doubles and nine in his last 10 games. Valanciunas is averaging 16.7 rebounds in his last six games and grabbed 31 boards in a back-to-back vs. Golden State in March.
Guard Dillon Brooks scored a team-high 24 points vs. the Spurs to cap a five-game stretch in which he is averaging 23.4 points, including 18 before fouling out at Golden State. Backcourt mate Ja Morant, Memphis' leading scorer, had 20 points, six rebounds and six assists on Wednesday and barely missed a double-double with 16 points and nine assists vs. Golden State.
Why the Warriors can cover
Stephen Curry is already a two-time Most Valuable Player and was among three players named for this year's award after leading the NBA in scoring and helping Golden State close the regular season on a 15-5 run. Curry had not faced the Grizzlies over the past two seasons due to injuries prior to his 46-point outburst in Sunday's win. Over his last 10 games, he is averaging 36.8 points and has buried at least six 3-pointers eight times.
Second-leading scorer Andrew Wiggins is averaging 26.7 points over his last three games while shooting at least 55 percent from the floor in each one. He has scored at least 20 points in each of the three meetings against the Grizzlies, including a season-high 40 on March 19. Second-year guard Jordan Poole has also enjoyed success against Memphis this season, averaging 22.0 points and knocking down three 3-pointers in each contest.
How to make Warriors vs. Grizzlies picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 228 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Grizzlies vs. Warriors? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a roll on NBA picks.
