The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Memphis Grizzlies at the Moda Center on Sunday night.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are now looking to put a halt to a six-game slide after falling painfully short to the Trail Blazers in a 115-113 overtime road loss on Friday. Desmond Bane led the team with 33 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 30 points with 10 rebounds and three blocks while David Roddy chipped in with 16 points. As a team, the Grizzlies shot 49 percent from the field and 10 of 35 from the 3-point line as they squandered an eight-point lead late in the fourth quarter, before allowing the Trail Blazers on a 6-0 run in overtime to come up short.
Memphis Grizzlies Team Facts
- The Grizzlies have lost each of their last eight road games against Northwest Division opponents.
- The Grizzlies have failed to cover the spread in each of their last 11 road games against Northwest Division opponents.
- Each of the Grizzlies’ last four road games following a road loss have gone OVER the total points line.
Portland Trail Blazers
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers will be gunning for a fourth straight victory after outlasting the Grizzlies in overtime on Friday. Jerami Grant led the team with 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists, Malcolm Brogdon added 24 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists while Shaedon Sharpe chipped in with 22 points. As a team, the Trail Blazers shot just 40 percent from the field and nine of 32 from the 3-point line as they worked hard to force overtime after trailing by eight points midway through the fourth quarter. The Trail Blazers were able to earn their first home win of the season and they did it despite terrible shooting numbers.
Portland Trail Blazers Team Facts
- The Trail Blazers have lost each of their last six games at Moda Center after coming off overtime.
- The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last eight home games following an overtime win.
- Seven of the Trail Blazers’ last eight games as underdogs following a home win have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Trail Blazers rank 30th in the league for assists per game this season (19.3).
- The Trail Blazers rank 30th in the league for opponent steals per game this season (10.2).
- The Grizzlies rank 30th in the league for opponent three-point percentage this season (41.4%).
- The Grizzlies rank 30th in the league for opponent three-point field goals made per game this season (16.3).
Peter’s Pick
The Grizzlies are still missing John Konchar, Santi Aldama, Derrick Rose and Brandon Clarke, while the Trail Blazers have ruled out Ish Wainright and Scoot Henderson. The Grizzlies are still searching for their first win of the season after six attempts, so Friday’s loss to the Blazers must have been a real gut shot to the team. It was a close game that could’ve gone either way and I think we’re going to see a similar result here. It’s always tough to beat the same team twice in a row, so I’m backing the Grizzlies to snap out of their funk with a much-needed win and cover in a close one.