Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon sport
Pacers vs Grizzlies: Memphis looks for second straight win
Ja Morant is finally back for the Grizzlies who will host the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night at the FedEx Forum.
The Pacers are doing well in the East
The Indiana Pacers are one of the top stories this season in the NBA after reaching the final game of the In-Season Tournament. The Pacers are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 14-12 record. They were on a four-game losing streak before dominating the Charlotte Hornets in a 144-113 win. Tyrese Haliburton is having another All-Star season, leading the league in assists per game with 11.9 and he also scores 24.9 points per game.
Ja Morant impact
Ja Morant is back in action after serving a 25-game suspension. He scored the game-winner in his first game back, lifting the Grizzlies to a 115-113 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Morant finished the game with 34 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. That was Memphis’ first win after five consecutive losses. Desmond Bane took over the leading role for the Grizzlies, averaging 24.4 points per game.
Betting Trends
The Pacers are 1-4 straight up in their last five games and in the last five against the Grizzlies. They are 4-11 against the spread in the last 15 games on the road in Memphis.
Can Morant save the season for the Grizzlies?
Ja Morant made a lot of noise around the league for the wrong reasons last season. After a couple of short suspensions, he got a 25-game ban by the league that forced him to miss almost two months at the start of the season. The Grizzlies were not playing well without him and are currently in 13th place with a 7-19 record. They have a long way to go to return to the upper half of the standings, but with Morant playing on his level, that should not be a problem at all.
Injury Reports
Brandon Clark, Luke Kennard, and Marcus Smart are out for the Grizzlies, and Andrew Nembhard is not available for the Pacers.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Grizzlies are in a deep hole at this point in the season, but Ja Morant proved that better days are coming with a game-winner in his first game back from suspension. The Pacers are also coming off a difficult week, breaking a four-game losing streak last night against Charlotte. This will be an interesting game, with two of the best point guards going against each other. The Grizzlies have the momentum and are a much better defensive team, so they will most likely win this game comfortably.
10 no sweat bets up to $1000 total
