Be sure to check injury updates and other relevant news as this article is written the night before and my picks may be subject to change!
Milwaukee Bucks at Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies get the home court advantage against the Bucks. The Bucks are currently holding an overall record of 21-14 and rank third in the Eastern Conference. They are 5-5 in their past 10 games and are coming off a blowout loss against the Denver Nuggets at home 128-97.
The duo of Giannis and Middleton didn’t get much help elsewhere with one other player scoring double digits besides their main duo. A major problem going forward if they want to advance in the playoffs when playing top-tier teams. Giannis is averaging 29.7 PPG, 5.8 APG and 11.7 RPG, numbers that will propel him into contention for a third MVP title.
The Bucks appear to have a boom or bust offense. They carry an offensive rating that ranks them 5th in the NBA. They are also ranked top five in field goal percentage and three-point percentage. When this team is hot, not many teams can stop them, however, this team has shown that they cannot be hot every game and can come out flat against any opponent, regardless of who they are playing.
The race for the 8th seed in the Western Conference is on and the Grizzlies have entered the chat with their two game winning streak while going 6-4 over their last 10 games. They sit one game above .500 and are 10th in Western Conference.
The Grizzlies have a young team that focuses on their defense. They have a defensive rating that ranks 7th in the league. They are also a team who can rebound and dish out assists ranking 10th and 2nd, respectively. This young team does all the right things but struggles with making shots where they sit 13th in field goal percentage and 26th in three point field goal percentage. They are on the precipice of greatness as they just need an extra piece to the puzzle and avoid costly injuries that have plagued this team recently.
Ja Morant has shown he can be a capable leader of the offense in the future. A second year point guard and ROTY winner is averaging 19.1 PPG and 7.8 APG. Not bad for the sophomore. All five starters on the Grizzlies are averaging double-digits in scoring.
The Bucks are the -6.0 favorite in this matchup. The Bucks will need to forget their last game and move forward. The Grizzlies are hot but have lately been unable to win three games in a row which is why I believe the Bucks will rebound making the Bucks -6.0 the play although it’s not out the of the realm of possibility that the Grizzlies can cover this game.
Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns
The Suns are one of the hottest teams in the league as of late. They just took down the Lakers 114-104 on the road in game that saw some emotion from superstar shooting guard Devin Booker. Booker got ejected from the game after bouncing the ball into the ref. I’m sure you’ve seen the video clip and we can all agree that he shouldn’t have been ejected. Nonetheless, the ejection had little effect on the outcome. The Suns are currently ranked 2nd in the Western Conference with a record of 23-11 going 8-2 in their last 10 games while touting a three game winning streak.
The Warriors are also in the race for the 8th seed in the West and are currently 9th.They have an overall record of 19-17 and are on a two game losing streak going 5-5 in their last 10 games.
The Warriors get a tough matchup on the road this matchup with all eyes on the Chris Paul vs Chef Curry matchup. Both top point guards in the league, Steph will have a hard time reaching his impressive average of 29.7 PPG. He will most likely score over 20 points but Chris Paul is no slouch on the defensive end and knows how to control the pace of the game to limit the number of attempts Curry can take.
The Suns are the -5.0 favorite and will look to extend their win streak to four games. I do not believe the Warriors will not get hot enough to stop the trio of Paul, Booker and Ayton. The talent advantage is heavily in the favor of the Suns making the Suns -5.0 the play.
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