Grizzlies vs. Warriors Predictions, Picks & Odds: NBA Play-In Tournament, 4/15
After the most thrilling game on Sunday’s final day of the NBA regular season, the Golden State Warriors fell to the #7 seed, setting them up with a Play-In Tournament game against the Memphis Grizzlies tonight. With a true playoff spot on the line, we’ve got our top Grizzlies vs. Warriors predictions for you.
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Grizzlies vs. Warriors Predictions For Tonight NBA Play-In Tournament, 4/15
When it comes to a Grizzlies vs. Warriors matchup, it’s about the epitome of what the NBA Play-In is all about. We say that because Memphis and Golden State have had stretches of looking like the biggest threats to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference, while also looking like they didn’t even deserve this opportunity at times.
With that in mind, the Grizzlies vs. Warriors odds may surprise you, but before we get that far, what can we expect from these teams tonight? Well, both looked destined to avoid the Play-In Tournament not long ago, so we should see some motivated squads. The biggest concern heading into things is the Stephen Curry injury.
We’ll get more into it as we further discuss Golden State specifically, but all eyes will be on that right thumb. On the other side of the matchup, we’ll be watching to see if Ja Morant can have the type of postseason we missed from him last year.
Memphis Grizzlies: Crushing The Battle Of Backups
As noted, it was the Warriors who fell to the Play-In on Sunday, but it was also the only spot left. Teams like the Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks were already locked into the tourney, who played each other. Therefore, it became a battle of backups with the game missing the likes of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Anthony Davis and more.
While that means we can’t put a ton of stock into the result, it’s still difficult to ignore a 132-97 beatdown by Memphis. They were able to see four of their players score career-highs, which never hurts morale in the locker room heading into the postseason. If nothing else, seeing a 35-point win on the scoreboard feels good after an inconsistent stretch as of late.
Golden State Warriors: Can Curry Keep Cooking?
Speaking of inconsistency, the Warriors went from surely just fighting for a Play-In Tournament spot to trading for Jimmy Butler and having analysts labeling them as the top contender to the Thunder. While no one can deny the positive impact of that trade, the current concern is Stephen Curry’s thumb injury.
It’s one that was reaggravated from earlier in the season, and we saw it covered in Sunday’s game against the Clippers. However, that was far from the reason for the loss, as Curry still cooked up 36 points in 38 minutes. He’ll need another big game for the Warriors to avoid an elimination game on Friday.
Grizzlies vs. Warriors Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
Despite the Stephen Curry injury and the massive Memphis win on Sunday, the Grizzlies vs. Warriors odds still have Golden State as heavy favorites:
- Point Spread: Memphis Grizzlies +7 (-110) vs. Golden State Warriors -7 (-110)
- Money Line: Memphis Grizzlies (+230) vs. Golden State Warriors (-285)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 229.5 (-110) vs. Under 229.5 (-110)
Grizzlies vs. Warriors Best Bet: Memphis +7 Points (Also Join Fantasy Contests At Underdog)
We said that the lines for tonight’s game may surprise you, and truthfully, we wouldn’t blame you. Has Memphis been difficult to trust down the stretch? Absolutely. But has Golden State also been in the same boat recently? For sure. Therefore, we’re going to back the underdog for this matchup.
Frankly, neither of these teams deserve to be touchdown favorites against any team that’s in the postseason, we’ll gladly take the points with Ja Morant and company. We’re happy having the seven points in our pocket since we also expect a lower-scoring game than Grizzlies vs. Warriors odds suggest, as that’s been a trend for the Play-In Tournament.
Last year, of the six Play-In games, three of them had teams score fewer than 100 points, including the Warriors with just 94 when they got eliminated. So, you could consider the under as part of your Grizzlies vs. Warriors picks as well, especially if we see the Stephen Curry injury play a more significant role.
That injury also has us leaning towards Memphis, and to be clear, this doesn't mean that Golden State can’t still come out victorious. We simply expect them to do so by five points at most, making the best bet from our Grizzlies vs. Warriors predictions on Memphis +7 points (enjoy Underdog fantasy contests instead for another approach).
Grizzlies vs. Warriors Injury Report & Starting Lineups
As far as Grizzlies vs. Warriors injury news goes, at this point, we all know that it’s primarily about Stephen Curry’s right thumb. It’s also worth noting that if you still see Ja Morant and the other stars still on the injury report, those are just lingering listings from the team resting them back on Sunday.
With that in mind, we expect them on the court tonight, which means these are the Grizzlies vs. Warriors projected lineups:
MEM Grizzlies:
GS Warriors:
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Player News
Ivica Zubac had a productive outing, finishing with 27 points (11-of-15 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs), five rebounds, one assist and two blocks in the Game 5 loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday.
Zubac continued to score the ball well, finishing with a series-high in points on efficient shooting. However, Zubac’s usual impact on the glass was absent as he secured just five rebounds in Game 5 after tallying at least nine in the previous four, with his one assist also tying his lowest output of the series. Down in the series 3-2, the Clippers head back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Thursday, where they face a must-win situation to keep their season alive.
James Harden concluded Tuesday’s Game 5 loss to the Nuggets with 11 points (3-of-9 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs), eight rebounds, five assists and two steals in 35 minutes.
Harden had a quiet night on Tuesday, barely cracking double figures in scoring and failing to register double-digit shot attempts. The 2018 NBA MVP has faced a stifling Nuggets defense that, over the last few games, has forced the ball out of his hands, leading to inferior performances compared to earlier games in the series. Harden will look for a bounce-back performance on Thursday as he tries to lead the Clippers to a season-saving victory in Game 6.
Kawhi Leonard stuffed the stat sheet in Tuesday’s Game 5 loss to the Nuggets, posting 20 points (8-of-15 FGs, 3-of-7 FTs), nine rebounds, 11 assists, one steal, two blocks and one three-pointer.
Leonard did a little bit of everything for the Clippers in Game 5. The two-time NBA Finals MVP posted a series-high in assists and also hit the glass hard, resulting in a near-triple-double. Leonard has scored at least 20 points in all five games of this series. However, the Clippers may need even more from him going forward as they look to extend their season beyond Thursday’s Game 6 at the Intuit Dome.
Nikola Jokic earned a triple-double in the Nuggets’ Game 5 win on Tuesday over the Clippers, finishing with 13 points (4-of-13 FGs, 4-of-5 FTs), 10 rebounds, 12 assists, one steal, two blocks and one three-pointer.
The three-time NBA MVP had a relatively quiet game by his standards, but still came away with his third triple-double of the series. Jokic struggled with shooting efficiency, and his scoring output was the lowest of the series. Yet, his points were not as necessary in this game, given how well the rest of the Nuggets shot the ball. Nevertheless, Jokic will be in line for another big performance on Thursday when the Nuggets face the Clippers in Game 6.
Russell Westbrook came off the bench and produced 21 points (8-of-15 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), one rebound, one assist and three three-pointers in the Nuggets’ Game 5 win over the Clippers on Tuesday.
Westbrook was electric in his first game back in the lineup following a foot injury that kept him out of Game 4. His second-quarter scoring ignited the crowd and helped set the table for what would be his highest-scoring game of the postseason. The 2017 NBA MVP has had himself a nice series thus far from a scoring standpoint and will have a chance to end his former team’s season on Thursday in Game 6.
Jamal Murray had a dominant Game 5 performance in the Nuggets’ win over the Clippers on Tuesday, tallying 43 points (17-of-26 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), five rebounds, seven assists, three steals, one block and eight three-pointers.
Fresh off a series-low 13 points in Game 4, Murray exploded for a series-high on Tuesday. He totaled nearly as many three-pointers in this game as he had in the previous four combined, while still managing to dish out seven assists. Murray got hot early in this one and never cooled off, and now has provided his Nuggets the opportunity on Thursday in Game 6 to eliminate the Clippers for the second time in the last five seasons.