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

Warriors vs. Grizzlies Odds

The Golden State Warriors will finish up a three-game road trip with a Thursday stop in Memphis to take on the Grizzlies.

The first two games of the road trip went poorly for Golden State as it lost to the Lakers on Sunday and the Thunder on Tuesday after winning five straight games prior.

The Grizzlies find themselves in a similar position, entering this one having lost three straight games.

Neither Golden State nor Memphis is playing its best basketball right now, but both of these teams have a ton to play for in the tightly contested Western Conference. Let's dig into the odds and make a betting prediction for the Golden State Warriors vs Memphis Grizzlies matchup.

Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry returned to the lineup after missing roughly a month due to injury, but the Warriors, surprisingly, haven't won since he's returned.

Curry missed every game from February 6th – March 3rd, a stretch in which Golden State went 7-4 with a 7.1 Net Rating.

The offense didn't skip a beat with Curry out, posting a 118.6 Offensive Rating in the 11 games he was sidelined. However, despite Curry scoring 67 points in his first two games back, Golden State has seen its Offensive Rating slide to 112.6.

The Warriors have also struggled defensively with Curry back in the lineup, posting a Defensive Rating of 120.8 in the past two games. That is a significant change from the team's 111.5 Defensive Rating in the 11 games Curry missed.

Memphis Grizzlies

While Golden State had its best player return to the lineup, Memphis saw its best player get taken out of the lineup for all the wrong reasons.

After some recent off-court problems, the Grizzlies suspended Ja Morant for two games. He has already served that suspension, but it has been announced that Morant will be out for at least the next four games.

That is tough news for a Grizzlies team that is right in the thick of it in the Western Conference, tied with Sacramento for the No. 2 seed at the time of this writing.

Memphis has struggled without Morant in the lineup this season, posting a 4-7 record (StatMuse). In those 11 games, the Grizzlies have struggled on the offensive end, posting an Offensive Rating of 109.4, down from their season rating of 113.4.

Those offensive struggles have been on full display during Memphis' three-game losing streak, a stretch in which the Grizzlies have been held to 103 points or less twice.

Warriors-Grizzlies Pick

Memphis has hit a dreaded rough patch at probably the worst time, but I like the Grizzlies as home underdogs in this one.

Golden State's defense has tanked with Curry back in the lineup. Those defensive struggles aren't new though, as evidenced by Golden State ranking 28th in Road Defensive Rating (119.0).

With Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton also out, Memphis will likely be able to generate offense, even without Morant.

Additionally, the Warriors are just 8-23 against the spread as the road team this season, per TeamRankings. Even a shorthanded Grizzlies team can take advantage of this weak defense.

Pick: Grizzlies +1.5

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