The Memphis Grizzlies invade the Footprint Center to battle the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night. Here’s a Grizzlies vs Suns prediction.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies have endured a rough start to the season, but they are now aiming for a third straight win after blowing past the shorthanded Mavericks in a 108-94 road win last night. Desmond Bane led the team with 30 points and five assists on 11 of 20 shooting, Jaylen Nowell added 19 points off the bench while Santi Aldama chipped in with 17 points and 12 rebounds on seven of 10 shooting. As a team, the Grizzlies shot 48 percent from the field and 11 of 34 from the 3-point line, but this win was more about their defense as they were always in control after holding the Mavericks to just 20 points in the first quarter. The Grizzlies held the Mavericks to just 37 percent shooting and they did that by keeping a lid on Kyrie Irving who shot just three of 15 from the field and zero of five from the 3-point line which really kept the Mavericks in check.

Memphis Grizzlies Team Facts

• The Grizzlies have won seven of their last eight games as road underdogs against the Suns.
• The Grizzlies have failed to cover the spread in 14 of their last 15 games as road underdogs following a win.
• Each of the Grizzlies’ last six games have gone UNDER the total points line.

Phoenix Suns 

Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns look to have cooled off from their seven-game win streak as they are now hoping to avoid a third straight defeat after getting beaten by the Nuggets in a 119-111 loss last night. Jusuf Nurkic led the team with 31 points on 13 of 22 shooting, Kevin Durant added 30 points with 11 assists and three blocks, Eric Gordon scored 16 points while Grayson Allen chipped in with 13 points, nine rebounds and three assists. As a team, the Suns shot 46 percent from the field and nine of 27 from the 3-point line as they worked hard the entire night to cut a 17-point deficit to just one point late in the fourth quarter, but they just couldn’t get over the hump on this occasion with the Suns’ Durant misfiring, shooting just eight of 25 from the field.

Phoenix Suns Team Facts

• The Suns have won each of their last 11 games as home favorites against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
• The Suns have covered the spread in each of their last four games as favorites on the second leg of a back-to-back.
• Each of the Suns’ last six night games against Western Conference opponents have gone OVER the total points line.

Grizzlies v Suns Prediction 

The Grizzlies are still depleted with Brandon Clarke, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard all out, while the Suns are still missing Bradley Beal and maybe Devin Booker again. The Grizzlies were the coldest team in the league, but they’ve started to turn things around with a couple of wins on the trot after beating the shorthanded Mavericks last night. The Suns could do with a win after two tough losses in a row, but they will likely be heavily reliant on Durant once again with Booker likely to sit out again. The Suns are expectedly heavy favorites at home and I think they get the win here, but with the line so hefty, I like the Grizzlies to hang around and earn the backdoor cover in the end.