Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers Prediction, Picks Today
Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers Prediction
Here's everything you need to know about my Grizzlies-Trail Blazers prediction on Sunday, Nov. 5 — our expert Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers betting pick for today.
The winless Grizzlies came as close to a win as they have all season long on Friday as they lost by two points in Portland in the In-Season Tournament. They've got a date with the Trail Blazers for a second time this weekend today. Can they finally get in the win column?
Let's get to our Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers prediction and pick.
They may have the worst offense in the league, but the Grizzlies were always going to win games with their defense given their roster construction.
Marcus Smart is the lead man in the backcourt, and while he can be performing a bit better on offense, we can't expect him to be Ja Morant. Memphis also has incredible size, helping it gain an edge in rebounding and interior defense, but Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams are currently on the shelf.
Still, Jaren Jackson, Jr. remains, and Desmond Bane has been excelled as a scorer. This core is good enough to win some games, and you can make the argument that the Grizzlies' defensive numbers will improve a bit given they've played some solid offensive teams in the first two weeks.
However, Portland isn't one of them.
Not only are the Blazers among the bottom three of the league in Offensive Rating, they're now playing without both Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons. They're also very weak up front, shooting just 57% inside of five feet and 30.6% from five to nine feet. Memphis should control this game on the defensive end and come away with a win.
Grizzlies Defense Must Step Up
It's hard to trust the Grizzlies. They've covered the spread just once this season when they faced the mighty Denver Nuggets in their second game of the season. Still, this will be the fourth time this year that the Grizzlies enter as favorites, with the last one taking place in Friday's loss to the Trail Blazers, where they laid 2.5 points.
I agree with oddsmakers here that the Grizzlies are a better team than the Blazers. While injuries are mounting for the Grizzlies, they still have a very strong frontcourt, which made Portland's win a bit odd. The Blazers shot just 28.1% from 3, which was another glowing example of the Grizzlies' strong defense, but the Blazers guards scored in the paint eventually.
Smart's on-ball defense hasn't quite lived up to what was promised, but we have a large body of work to back up that he's a solid defender and can be counted on against a weak Blazers backcourt.
Trail Blazers Backcourt Shorthanded
Without Henderson and Simons, the Blazers lack the same punch on offense. Malcolm Brogdon and Jerami Grant are nice complementary scorers, but they still shot a combined 15-for-42 from the field and had a hard time breaking through against Memphis' defense on Friday.
On top of that, Deandre Ayton continues to get worse as an on-ball defender and will get eaten alive by any halfway-decent offensive frontcourt. Jackson, Jr. is a prime example, and he had a ton of success in the paint with 30 points on Friday against Portland.
The Blazers have yet to enter a game as favorites this season, but they've now covered the spread in three straight games with wins over the Raptors, Pistons and Grizzlies.
Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers Picks, Odds
| Grizzlies Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 218 -110o / -110u | -158 |
| Trail Blazers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 218 -110o / -110u | +132 |
I'm very confident in this Grizzlies front line on Sunday and am happy to lay up to four points with the favorites here in what should be their first win of the season.
We saw on Friday just how hard it is for the Blazers to score without their two electric scorers, particularly against a defense which has plenty of talent.
On the flip side, Portland had no answers inside for Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane continued to score the ball at will. All told, Memphis shot under 30% from 3 and still managed to hit 49% of its shots from the field, so with a bit of shooting variance kicking in, there should be more than enough to make up the difference from Friday.
