It’s been a brutal start to the season for the Lakers. At home, against a really good Grizzlies team, do the Lakers have what it takes to notch their first win of the season? Let’s check out the NBA odds and decide which way to lean at the top betting sites.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Sunday, October 24, 2021 – 9:30 PM EDT at Staples Center
It’s been a rough start for the Los Angeles Lakers after dropping their first two games of the season. They’ve had fights on the court, chaos off the court, and currently haven’t figured out the whole defensive aspect of the game.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are 2-0 and while their defense hasn’t been any better, Memphis is scoring at a premium rate currently. They’re coming off a win over the Clippers yesterday and will look to win the second game of the back-to-back tonight. Memphis looks great offensively. They’re scoring 126.3 points per 100 possessions, and lead the league in that category through the first week of the season. They’ve got an effective field goal percentage of 57.4 percent and have turned the ball over just 11.6 percent of time in their first two games. Meanwhile, they’ve dominated the offensive glass and gotten to the line at a solid rate.
The Lakers are sending teams to the line at a free throw rate of 26 in the first two games. If Memphis stays aggressive, they’ll find the line. It will be hard to gain a ton of offensive rebounds against the Lakers but currently, if the Grizzlies continue getting good shots and taking a good selection of shots, those offensive rebounds won’t be needed as much. The only positive thing for the Lakers on the defensive end is their rebounding.
On offense, the Lakers have done nothing right. They’re an average group scoring 103.3 points per 100 possessions. They’re turning the ball over 16.2 percent of the time and haven’t been all that aggressive on the offensive glass. But look, there’s too much talent on this Lakers team for them not to score at a quick and fast pace, especially against a Grizzlies team that is allowing 117.6 points per 100 possessions in the first two games of the season. The Grizzlies have also struggled to force turnovers, so the Lakers should take better care of the ball in tonight’s game.
Prediction
Memphis is allowing 117.6 points per 100 possessions while the Lakers are allowing 109.9 points per 100 possessions, each through two games. The Grizzlies have been the best offense through those first two games while being one of the worst teams defensively.
The Grizzlies won’t get as many second opportunities as they have in the last two games but shot selection will still be good and therefore Memphis should still be able to score points. On the other hand, the Lakers’ offense, at home, is set to breakout. With all the chaos surrounding the team, it’s time the Lakers show up. They’ve got plenty of offensive star power and that’s going to show against a poor Grizzlies team. For our NBA picks, let’s take the over in this game.
NBA Pick: Over 220.5 (-110) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
