It’s not typical for 7-seeds to be favored to win series over 2-seeds in the playoffs, but this is not a typical 2-vs-7 series, as the Memphis Grizzlies have seen star Ja Morant dealing with issues off the court and injuries in this series, and the Los Angeles Lakers finally have LeBron James and Anthony Davis both healthy and putting forth maximum effort at the same time. The Lakers are 3-0 against the spread at home against the Grizzlies this season, and they look to make that record 4-0 when they host the Grizzlies on Monday night. Memphis bounced back after a Game 1 loss to even the series, and they look to do the same thing tonight. Check out our NBA betting preview for this prime-time showdown.
NBA Playoffs: Western Conference Quarterfinal Preview
Memphis Grizzlies at L.A. Lakers, Game 4
Lakers lead, 2-1
When: Monday, April 24, 2023, 10:00 pm ET
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles
TV: TNT
Radio: ESPN 92.9 FM Memphis / ESPNLA 710 AM Los Angeles
Live Stream: Sling TV
NBA Odds: Memphis +4.5 / O/U 220.5 // Memphis +165 / Los Angeles -200
Why should you bet on the Memphis Grizzlies?
Ja Morant is playing through his injured right hand, and he is giving his all for the Grizzlies. He made 50 percent of his shots in Game 3 and dropped 45 points on the Lakers, while pulling down nine rebounds and distributing 13 assists while turning the ball over just three times. The rest of the team was ice-cold; as a group, the Grizzlies shot just 37.6 percent, and the rest of the team combined to score just 56 points.
The defense was terrific in Game 2, allowing just 93 points, but then the Lakers scored 111 in Game 3, so the defense needs to return for Game 4. During the season, the Grizzlies were third in defensive rating, and they ranked in the top ten in shooting percentage permitted at each level. They also forced turnovers at a high clip. They would be a lot better off if they had Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams, so they need Xavier Tillman to control the paint again like he did in Game 2. But can this team put things together on the road, where they went 16-25 in the regular season?
Bet on the Grizzlies!
Why should you put your money on the Lakers?
The Lakers are healthy at the right time, and the moves the team made at the deadline improved three-point shooting and floor spacing. The real surprise in this series is Rui Hachimura, who is scoring 21.7 points per game while shooting 67% from the floor, including 9 of 12 from behind the arc after a regular season in which he shot 31.9% from distance. It’s unlikely that he will shoot like this for the entire playoffs, but we’ve seen hot series from unlikely players in the past.
The Lakers’ defense has done a solid job of slowing down the Grizzlies’ offense. Anthony Davis has 15 blocks in the first three games of the series, and the Lakers were seventh in effective field goal percentage permitted this season. If you like the Lakers, you see them taking care of business at home.
Bet on the Lakers!
Final Score and Prediction
After a monster night from Morant, combined with an off night for his supporting cast, it will be interesting to see if the Grizzlies come together or come out flat and frustrated. Based on the season they’ve had, I see them coming out motivated. We’ve seen LeBron’s resolve crack fairly easily in past playoffs, and if the Grizzlies can come out with more offensive flow (they didn’t crack double digits in the first quarter of Game 3), they can take it to the Lakers. But will they? I predict a final score of Los Angeles 109, Memphis 103.
35-9!!! Lakers Dominate 1st Quarter in Game 3 Win vs Memphis
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