Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies NBA Playoffs Game 2 Best Bets (Archive)
The Minnesota Timberwolves look to extend their 1-0 lead over the Memphis Grizzlies when they take the floor in Memphis on Tuesday night. The Grizzlies will be looking to bounce back after their game one loss. After looking at the NBA odds, let’s find the winning NBA picks.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Tuesday, April 19, 2022 – 08:30 PM EDT at FedExForum
Minnesota Timberwolves
After getting the win in Minnesota against the Clippers on Tuesday night to secure the seventh seed in the west, the Minnesota Timberwolves continued their hot momentum as they rolled into Memphis and took game one on the road against the Grizzlies. Anthony Edwards, the second-year superstar out of Georgia, led the way scoring 36 points in his first official postseason game.
Karl Anthony-Towns bounced back from his poor performance against the Clippers with 29 points and 13 rebounds. The Timberwolves opened the game strong, scoring 41 points in the first quarter. The Grizzlies weren't playing sloppy defense either, the Timberwolves' offensive execution was just top-notch.
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Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch needs to be given credit for his team's hot start on Saturday. Now he faces the tough task to keep his team on the right track after two such important wins.
Finch is trying to turn the culture in Minnesota around and must avoid letting the team become too high or overconfident after 2 strong performances. We will see how effective Finch is in selling the message ‘that the job isn't done by the way the Timberwolves open the game tonight.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies tied their franchise record with 56 wins in the regular season. By achieving the second seed in the West, it is the best seeding the franchise has ever had. The Grizzlies were rusty and it showed when they gave up 41 first-quarter points and were not able to surmount the deficit.
The Grizzlies' numbers on the offensive end looked good as Ja Morant had 32 points and 8 assists. Dillon Brooks had 24 points. Brandon Clarke came off the bench and had an impressive 13 points and 12 rebounds. But it was not enough as a Memphis Grizzlies team that is known for its strong defense struggled to get stops and slow down the Timberwolves' hot momentum.
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The Grizzlies know they need to win tonight to stay alive in the series. It is very hard to go down 0-2 after losing 2 home games and still win a playoff series. The Grizzlies feel their backs against the wall and Ja Morant and the team have been very vocal on social media about their desire to bounce back strongly.
The Grizzlies can put up the points, but we will need a stronger defensive effort from the team tonight. The Grizzlies were known for their defense in the regular season, and they look to reclaim that identity in tonight's NBA playoffs game.
Key Matchup
Anthony Edwards vs. Dillon Brooks
Anthony Edwards has the confidence, charisma, and character of a winning NBA superstar. As the lights got brighter for Edwards his performance improved. Edwards has had inconsistent performances throughout the year, however, and often follows his big nights with duds, so his consistency will be the next step in his development.
The Memphis Grizzlies and Coach Taylor Jenkins will be looking to take away Edwards in tonight's game, and they will put defensive stalwart Dillon Brooks on Edwards. If Brooks is able to slow down Edwards, or Edwards cannot replicate his excellent performance from game one, the Grizzlies have a great chance to even up the series.
If Anthony Edwards has another strong showing, he will lead the Timberwolves to a victory and insert his name into the conversation about the top players in the NBA.
Best Bets
The rest turned to rust for the Memphis Grizzlies. The Memphis Grizzlies' week off was quite evident in their slow start. The Grizzlies will come out focused tonight and will not allow such lenient defensive resistance against the Timberwolves' offensive stars.
The Grizzlies have the depth to win the bench minutes as well. Overall, I expect a much more focused effort from the Grizzlies from the jump. In Game 1, they allowed themselves to fall into a deficit from which they could not recover.
A focused team that is back to being itself and shaking off the rust is what we will see tonight. Our first bet for tonight's NBA playoffs game is the Memphis Grizzlies -7.
NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -7 (-108) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Even though we will see a better defensive effort from the Grizzlies tonight, the pace of this game will be high. Both teams like to run, even off-made baskets. Both teams excel in transition offense and even the best defensive schemes cannot stop a team with a fast-break momentum.
I expect another high-scoring game tonight. However, the NBA odds for this total are too high as the renewed commitment to excellent defense will push this game 'under'. The Grizzlies' defense will be better, and the Timberwolves will not be able to repeat their close to perfect performance.
The total for Game 1 opened at 235. 241 is set way too high for an NBA playoff basketball game. Our second bet for tonight's NBA playoff game is the Memphis Grizzlies/Minnesota Timberwolves Under 241.
NBA Pick: Under 241 (-108) with Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports 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.