Grizzlies at Lakers Odds: Memphis Aims to Level Series
Can Memphis Carry Over Late Momentum?
Lakers Looking Like Title Contenders
The LA Lakers will look to replicate their first quarter efforts from Game 3 as they aim to take a commanding 3-1 series. Let’s dive into our Grizzlies at Lakers Odds analysis and see what value we can find for bettors.
The Lakers erupted early in Game 3 as they fed off the home crowd energy to take a 35-9 lead. Their defense led to offense and things snowballed quickly for the hosts who did enough to see out the game from there.
Memphis showed fight to get it back to single digits late in the fourth quarter and coach Taylor Jenkins will be hoping the team carries that confidence with them into Game 4. Ja Morant was scintillating in his return to the lineup and his output will be key to the Grizzlies finding a way to level the series.
The Lakers are currently 4.5-point favorites on the NBA betting lines in this one with the total set at 220.5 points. The Lakers are 2-1 ATS this series, while the Under has also cashed in two of the three meetings.
Lakers Scoring at Will in Transition
We knew half court scoring would be difficult for both teams given that both boast elite defensive units, and that’s why transition scoring has been key to LA taking a series lead to date.
So far this series, the Lakers are averaging just 1.02 points per possession off made field goals by Memphis – that ranks 14th in half court points per possession of teams in the playoffs. Those struggles have existed for most of the season just as it has for Memphis, but the difference has been LA’s ability to push tempo when given the opportunity.
The Lakers are 2nd in the playoffs in time of possession off opponent missed field goals (10.6 seconds) and 4th in time of possession off turnovers (7.2 seconds). They rank in the top-5 in points per possession in both those categories.
Being able to rely on their defense to get stops means they can trust their size to clean up the defensive boards and get out in transition. The Grizzlies have been a bottom-5 rebounding team at both ends of the floor since losing Steven Adams so using that to their advantage in this matchup is what’s creating mismatch opportunities for LA.
Memphis were 19th on the season in opponent transition frequency off live rebounds and it seemingly remains the Achilles Heel to an otherwise elite defense. If the home team can continue to find ways to attack before the Grizzlies can get set they’ll likely be playing from in front for the duration of this one.
Grizzlies Following Ja’s Lead
Ja Morant went off for 45 points, 9 rebounds and 13 assists in Game 3 as he made his return from a sprained hand in emphatic fashion.
As good as Memphis has shown themselves to be in his absence the reality is that this team can only progress if their superstar guard plays to his true abilities from the opening tip.
The Grizzlies half court offense has been a concern all season and they simply don’t do enough of the boards to create extra opportunities against a much bigger LA team. Morant provides a point of attack for this team that can get into the paint and challenge the teeth of the defense.
That in turn creates the space on the perimeter for their shooters to get more open looks in the corner, which is what still might be the ultimate equalizer against a Lakers team that doesn’t shoot well from beyond the arc.
Luke Kennard lead the NBA standings 2023 in 3-point percentage (49.3%) and if he and Desmond Bane can feed off the gravity Morant creates when on-ball they can create a different dimension to an offense that can oftentimes be stale.
As good as LA was to start Game 3 there were some late concerns as the team struggled to generate good looks on this defense as the game slowed down. If Memphis can limit turnovers and get back in transition there’s no reason why they can’t regain home court advantage in this series.
The +4.5 points is very generous for the Grizzlies and that’s the best look in a game where both teams are very evenly matched.
That’s all for our Grizzlies at Lakers Odds piece. Make sure to check out all our NBA playoff previews to give you the best edge against the markets.
