Memphis Grizzlies (38-24) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (33-33)
March 5, 2023 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: Los Angeles Clippers -6.5; Over/Under: +230.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Memphis Grizzlies at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night.
The Memphis Grizzlies have been in great form as they’ve won six of their last nine games overall and they will be hoping to bounce back in this one after having their three-game win streak halted by the Nuggets in a 113-97 road loss on Friday. Ja Morant led the team with 27 points and 10 assists, Desmond Bane added 19 points while Jaren Jackson Jr. chipped in with 15 points, six rebounds and three blocks. As a team, the Grizzlies shot just 36 percent from the field and 11 of 32 from the 3-point line as they kept the Nuggets in check early on to take the lead into halftime, but the second half belonged to the Nuggets, especially the fourth quarter where the Grizzlies managed just 17 points to get completely blown out. Dillon Brooks had a night to forget as he scored just eight points on three of 10 shooting while no bench player contributed more than six points.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers have been in a real funk as they’ve lost seven of their last nine games overall and they will be hoping to arrest a five-game slide after falling short to the Kings in a 128-127 road loss on Friday. Paul George led the team with 28 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, Russell Westbrook added 27 points with 10 assists on 12 of 16 shooting while Eric Gordon chipped in with 21 points on eight of 13 shooting. As a team, the Clippers shot 54 percent from the field and 14 of 41 from the 3-point line as they worked hard to rally back from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to take the lead late in the game, only to see the Kings’ Domantas Sabonis drain the game-winning free throws with just 7.0 seconds on the clock to snatch the game away in the end.
Looking at the betting trends, the Grizzlies are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games and 1-4 ATS in their last five Sunday games. The Clippers are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games, 1-4 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning record and 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.
Head to head, the over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings in Los Angeles and the Grizzlies are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings overall.
The Grizzlies are severely shorthanded here as Steven Adams, Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke are all out, while the Clippers are missing Norman Powell and they have Ivica Zubac listed as questionable. The Grizzlies come in as the team in better form, but they’ve been plagued by injuries and suspensions, so it’s the Clippers who have the major advantage in depth in this meeting. The Clippers have really struggled to win with Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup, but surely this is an opportunity that they can’t miss out on. Yes, the Grizzlies have shown that they can beat teams when they’re shorthanded, but the Clippers should surely be good enough to get the much-needed win in this spot.
