Suns vs. Grizzlies NBA Odds, Preview and Pick (Archive)
The top two teams in the Western Conference do battle as the Memphis Grizzlies host the Phoenix Suns at FedExForum.
The Grizzlies have been the surprise team of the league this season, showing great improvement while also proving they can win without their best player. The Suns meanwhile have picked up where they left off last year in the regular season and have their eyes set on a return to the NBA Finals. Which way to lean at the best sportsbooks?
Phoenix Suns vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Friday, April 01, 2022 – 08:00 PM EDT at FedExForum
Suns Are a Regular Season Juggernaut
The most underrated story of this regular season has been the Phoenix Suns' dominance. They are looking for their 10th win in a row tonight and their consistency during this regular season has been very impressive.
The Suns have a chance to win 67 games this season which is something that less than 20 teams in the history of the league have done. At least 12 of those teams went on to win a championship which bodes well for the Suns.
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We know what happened to them in last year's NBA Finals but judging by their regular season performance this year, this group is as determined as ever to get back there and get the job done.
There's still a long way to go before that and tonight, they get to play the new up-and-coming contender in the west; the Memphis Grizzlies. The Suns come into this game as huge road favorites at -7 which might seem a little bit disrespectful to Memphis.
When you take a closer look at who they have available for tonight's game, then you'll understand why the line opened at -2 before it was steamed a full five points. Along with Ja Morant, the Grizzlies will also be without Jaren Jackson Jr., Tyus Jones, Steven Adams, and Desmond Bane.
As good as the Grizzlies have been without Morant this season (they've been unbelievable at 19-2), when you take away 4 of their top 5 players from the roster against the Suns, things could get really ugly tonight.
Memphis Strength in Numbers Their Biggest Asset
The fact that the Grizzlies have won 91% of their games without Morant on the floor is what makes this team so dangerous. Remember, Morant has easily been one of the best players in the league this season and to not even skip a beat without him says that the Grizzlies might be very dangerous in the playoffs. I use the word might because the only sample we have from this group is last season's series against the Utah Jazz that they lost in five games.
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Morant played like the superstar we are seeing now and Dillon Brooks was impressive as well. That's where the compliments end for this group as the rest of the squad looked overwhelmed by the moment.
The lights shine brightest come playoff time and not everyone can handle that type of pressure. I think the Grizzlies will be much better than that but much like Chris Paul getting out of the second round, you still have to see it to believe it.
Suns Are All Business All the Time
The total for tonight's game hasn't moved nearly as much as the spread, opening at 229.5 with some of the best sportsbooks now showing 229 or 228.5 depending on where you shop. I'm not sure what to make of the total due to all of the absences for Memphis. They are the number one ranked offense in the league but most of the guys that have contributed to that are not available.
My official NBA pick for tonight's game is Suns -7 (-110) which is available at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review) for one very specific reason.
The Suns are all business all the time which means they don't take nights off. They will not care one bit who is available for Memphis. In their last game at Golden State, they played terribly by their standards and still won the game.
That is what NBA championship contenders do. That's who the Suns are and the Grizzlies will get a first-hand taste of that tonight when the Suns win by double digits on the road.
NBA Pick: Suns -7 (-110) at Bovada
*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.