The Memphis Grizzlies (20-22) will put a seven-game winning streak on the line against the New Orleans Pelicans (16-27) as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day NBA schedule. After slow starts on both sides, the teams will be battling for playoff positioning on a national stage, with rookie sensation Ja Morant leading the way for Memphis. There will be plenty of attention paid to the injury report as well, with Jrue Holiday (elbow), Derrick Favors (back) and Jahlil Okafor (back) all listed as questionable for New Orleans. 

Monday's tip-off is at 5 p.m. ET at FedExForum. Sportsbooks list the Grizzlies as two-point home favorites, holding steady from the opener, while the over-under is 237, in the latest Pelicans vs. Grizzlies odds. Before making any Grizzlies vs. Pelicans picks or MLK Day NBA predictions, see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and last season it returned a whopping $4,280 on its top-rated NBA spread and money line picks. It's already returned over $2,000 in profit on all its top-rated NBA picks during the 2019-20 season and entered Week 12 on a blistering 28-16 run on all top-rated NBA spread picks. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Grizzlies vs. Pelicans. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Pelicans vs. Grizzlies:

  • Grizzlies vs. Pelicans spread: Grizzlies -2
  • Grizzlies vs. Pelicans over-under: 237
  • Grizzlies vs. Pelicans money line: Grizzlies -128, Pelicans +105
  • NOP: The Pelicans are 7-1 against the spread in the last eight games
  • MEM: The Grizzlies have covered the spread in six of the last seven contests

Why the Grizzlies can cover

The model understands that the Grizzlies are a different team than they were earlier in the season. In addition to an active, seven-game winning streak, Memphis is 10-3 in the last 13 games. During that stretch, the Grizzlies have performed at an elite level offensively and, for the full season, Memphis lands in the top eight of the NBA in effective field-goal percentage. 

The Grizzlies do have weaknesses in creating free throws and putting their opponents on the free-throw line but, in this matchup, those areas are mitigated by New Orleans scuffling in the same areas.

Why the Pelicans can cover

Even though Memphis has been on fire recently, there's no guarantee it will cover the Grizzlies vs. Pelicans spread. The model also has factored in that New Orleans is playing improved basketball since mid-December. The Pelicans have won 10 of their last 15 games and, in the process, the team is firmly back in the playoff race. Most of that can be traced to an above-average offense, with the Pelicans ranking in the top 10 in effective field-goal percentage and generating efficient shots on a regular basis. 

New Orleans is also a top-10 team in the NBA when it comes to both offensive and defensive rebounding. Individually, Brandon Ingram is perhaps the best offensive player on either side, with the talented forward averaging 25.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this season. 

How to make Grizzlies vs. Pelicans picks

SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total and also says one side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations.

So who wins Pelicans vs. Grizzlies? And which side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Grizzlies vs. Pelicans spread you need to jump on Monday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.