Grizzlies vs. Cavaliers Odds, Pick, Prediction | NBA Betting Preview

Grizzlies vs. Cavaliers Odds

The Memphis Grizzlies will hit the road Thursday for a non-conference matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Grizzlies are 32-19 after Wednesday's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. That record is good enough for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, making Memphis a legitimate threat to contend for a title.

The Cavaliers are also looking to make their way to the NBA Finals, but find themselves in fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-22 record.

Here are the odds and a betting prediction for the matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, but things haven't gone nearly as smoothly as that seed would indicate.

For example, the Grizzlies played Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, a game in which they lost 122-112 due to being outscored 38-22 in the fourth quarter. That loss was Memphis' sixth in its past seven games.

During that seven-game span, Memphis has struggled tremendously on the offensive end of the floor. For the 2022-23 season, the Grizzlies have posted an Offensive Rating of 113.9, but in their past seven games that number has fallen to 108.4. The main cause has been Memphis' inability to establish any offensive presence on the perimeter. The Grizzlies are shooting just 28.9% from 3 in that same seven-game span.

Steven Adams' absence has also played a large role in the Grizzlies' demise. Adams has missed the past four games, a span in which the Grizzlies have posted a -34 point differential. Memphis has also seen its Defensive Rating rise from 109.9 to 113.5 in that time, further proving they are struggling on the defensive end without one of their main pieces in the middle.

Cleveland Cavaliers

January was full of ups and downs for Cleveland and their last game of the month against Miami was arguably the lowest point.

In their matchup against the Heat, the Cavaliers scored just 97 points, marking the fifth time in January in which they were held to 103 points or less. The biggest reasons for the low offensive output in that game was an inability to shoot from deep or at the line. Cleveland made just 11 of its 40 3-point attempts and six of its 12 free-throw attempts.

However, those inefficiencies have't been all that common for Cleveland. In fact, the Cavaliers were one of the better offenses in January, despite posting an 8-8 record for the month.

Cleveland shot 49.1% from the floor in January, a percentage that ranked in the top-10 for the month. That allowed the Cavaliers to post a 115.7 Offensive Rating, a slight improvement from their 114.2 season rating.

Cleveland also played great basketball on their home court in January, going 5-2 overall and posting a Net Rating of +7.2. That rating ranked sixth in the NBA last month, showing why the Cavs are considered by most to be a contender in the East.

Grizzlies-Cavaliers Pick

All in all, we have two teams coming off bad losses, but I think Cleveland is more likely to bounce back in this one.

Adams' absence is a critical one, and I think it will continue to be a massive factor. Memphis is just 4-5 without Adams and has posted a 113.5 Defensive Rating in those games (per StatMuse). That leaves Memphis vulnerable in the middle of the floor, which could pose a problem against a Cavaliers team averaging 51.0 points per game in the paint.

Furthermore, Cleveland is one of the best interior defenses in the league, allowing its opponents to score the third-fewest points per game in the paint (45.9). It was already going to be difficult for Memphis to score inside, but when you remove Adams from the picture, it becomes even more difficult.

Back the Cavaliers to cover the spread at home. I like the spread to 5.

Pick: Cavaliers -5

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