The Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets are on the floor at Ball Arena on Thursday night. Memphis doesn’t have their superstar, and there’s nothing to play for at this point in the regular season, but the Grizzlies don’t care. They keep on and aren’t bothered by any outside noise.
The Grizzlies have nothing to concern themselves with when it comes to playoff seeding. They’re locked into second, with no chance to catch the Phoenix Suns who are well ahead.
game 80.
? @nuggets
? @GrizzOnBally | @FDSportsbook
? @929espn
⏰ 8pm pic.twitter.com/vZVnFLTgyt— y – Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) April 7, 2022
Memphis looks at every game the same. It doesn’t matter who is in the starting lineup or the situation; they treat it like a meaningful game.
The Suns have a commanding 7.5-game lead over the Grizzlies in the Western Conference. Conversely, the Golden State Warriors can’t catch the Grizz for second place.
Memphis is coming off a 121-115 loss in overtime against the Utah Jazz. The fact that the Grizzlies had nothing to play for and went down to the wire with the Jazz on the road wasn’t a bad loss.
The Grizzlies started hot in that one, cooled off, then had to come back in the fourth quarter to force overtime. It was a good battle for the Grizzlies in an otherwise meaningless game for them. This is another one of those, but don’t tell the Grizzlies to gear down.
At 47-33, it’s been an okay season for the Nuggets. Denver appears to be the last team in to avoid the play-in tournament. They have a two-game lead on the Minnesota Timberwolves for sixth in the Western Conference.
The Nuggets have Nikola Jokic, but I don’t trust them as a team. They’re too Jekyll and Hyde for me and will likely fail versus squads with good depth in the playoffs, like the Grizzlies.
Head below for our free Grizzlies vs. Nuggets prediction on April 7, 2022.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Denver Nuggets Betting Odds and Team Statistics:
The following odds are courtesy of Bovada:
Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Memphis Grizzlies | +4.5 (-110) | +155 | Over 233 (-110) |
Denver Nuggets | -4.5 (-110) | -180 | Under 233 (-110) |
Team Data | Memphis Grizzlies | Denver Nuggets |
---|---|---|
Overall Record | 55-24 | 47-33 |
ATS Record | 51-27-1 | 35-44-1 |
Away/Home Record | 26-14 | 22-17 |
ATS Away/Home | 25-14-1 | 14-25-0 |
Points Per Game | 115.4 | 112.3 |
Points Against Per Game | 109.4 | 110.0 |
Field Goal % | 46.1% | 48.2% |
Three Point % | 35.1 | 35.3 |
Grizzlies vs. Nuggets Prediction:
The Nuggets have been a money-burning bet this season. You look at the MVP, Nikola Jokic, and it’s easy to gravitate towards the Nuggets. However, Jokic and the Nuggets have been a bad bet.
They are 35-44-1 against the spread and terrible at home with a cover rate of just 14-25-0. Oddsmakers can overinflate Nuggets’ lines because of Jokic, but the Nuggets do a good job of botching point spreads in the 4th quarter.
Heading into Thursday night, the Nuggets have scored 112.3 points per game for tenth-best in the NBA. If the defense was above average, they’d probably be fine. However, the Nuggets have allowed 110 points per game, 14th in the league.
The Nuggets are 23rd in the NBA with a 47% field goal percentage against. The Nuggets don’t look like a 47-33 team when you look at these figures. They’ve been involved in a lot of games that go down to the wire.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Denver Nuggets Betting Trends:
- 4-0 ATS in their previous four games after a loss
- 15-5-1 ATS in their previous 21 games as an underdog
- 22-7 ATS in their previous 29 games on a one-day break
- 4-0-1 ATS in their previous five games versus a team with a winning record
- 41-18-1 ATS in their previous 60 games
- 5-16 ATS in their previous 21 games at home
- 0-4 ATS in their previous four games as a betting favorite at home
- 4-10 ATS in their previous 14 games as a betting favorite
- 5-17 ATS in their previous 22 games versus a team with a winning record on the road
- 2-5 ATS in their previous seven games on a Thursday
I’m not so high on laying points on the Nuggets against the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies don’t need motivation to play well. Too often, the Nuggets go through the motions regardless of the situation.
Memphis is the second-best team in the league, with 115.4 points scored per game. Their defense has been effective as well, with 109.4 points against a game. They haven’t needed Ja Morant to succeed, too.
The Grizzlies are 20-3 without Morant on the floor this season. Morant is going to be needed in a tight postseason series. He could be the difference-maker, but the Grizzlies have been fine in the regular season.
Memphis had their seven-game winning streak come to an end in overtime versus the Jazz. There should be some motivation to get back on track despite this game meaning nothing for seeding.
Against an overrated Nuggets squad, the points look attractive on the Grizzlies tonight.
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