Memphis Grizzlies (19-11) vs. Phoenix Suns (19-13)
December 23, 2022 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: Phoenix Suns +2.5; Over/Under: +226
(Get latest betting odds)
The Memphis Grizzlies and the Phoenix Suns lock horns at the Footprint Center on Friday night.
The Memphis Grizzlies have been in great form as they’ve won nine of their last 12 games overall, but they will be hoping to snap a two-game skid in this one after getting routed by the Nuggets in a 105-91 road loss on Tuesday. Ja Morant led the team with 35 points and 10 assists on 12 of 26 shooting, Dillon Brooks added 11 points while Brandon Clarke chipped in with 10 points off the bench. As a team, the Grizzlies shot 44 percent from the field and just five of 26 from the 3-point line as they got off to a terrible start and just never had a chance after getting outscored by 35-14 in the first quarter.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns have been in a rut as they’ve lost six of their last nine games and they will be hoping to bounce back in this one after having their three-game win streak halted by the lowly Wizards in a 113-110 loss on Tuesday. DeAndre Ayton led the team with 30 points and 13 rebounds on 12 of 20 shooting, Landry Shamet led all scorers with 31 points and five assists off the bench while Chris Paul tallied 12 points with 11 assists. As a team, the Suns shot 46 percent from the field and 13 of 32 from the 3-point line as they worked hard to lead by 10 points after trailing by as many as 17 points, but they never put the Wizards away and it cost them as the Wizards closed the final 7:32 on a 31-18 run to snatch the game from them in the end.
Looking at the betting trends, the Grizzlies are 8-21-1 ATS in their last 30 road games, 4-1 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning record and 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games overall. The Suns are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a loss and 0-6 ATS in their last six Friday games.
Head to head, the under is 15-5 in the last 20 meetings in Phoenix and the Grizzlies are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Phoenix.
The Grizzlies could be shorthanded again as Desmond Bane is listed as questionable, while the Suns are definitely shorthanded as Cameron Payne, Devin Booker and Jae Crowder are all out. The Grizzlies come into this meeting with plenty of momentum as they were in red-hot form before getting stopped by the Nuggets on Tuesday. The Suns really have really struggled with the injuries piling up and their confidence took a major hit after losing to the lowly Wizards in their last outing. This should be a close one, but I’ll stick with the Grizzlies to get the win and cover on the road.
