NBA Pick: Grizzlies +4 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
The NBA comes out of its All-Star break on Thursday with the marquee game of the night a potential NBA Finals preview as the Memphis Grizzlies visit the Philadelphia 76ers.
Which side of the 4-point spread at the top-rated sportsbooks has the best value as your NBA pick for tonight? We also have a total play.
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Memphis Grizzlies vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Thursday, February 23, 2023 – 07:30 PM EST at Wells Fargo Center
It’s a very “mystical” date of 2/23/23 when the NBA comes out of its All-Star break on Thursday with nine games. Memphis at Philadelphia in a possible Finals preview – doubt it – is the first of a TNT doubleheader followed by Golden State at LA Lakers.
The Grizzlies go for the season sweep as they were a 4.5-point favorite at the top-rated books on Dec. 2 when they beat the Sixers 117-109.
Ja Morant had 28 points and eight rebounds, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22 points and four blocks, and Steven Adams had nine points, 16 rebounds, and six assists. Joel Embiid had 35 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists for Philadelphia, which lost its ninth straight road game in the series. James Harden and Tyrese Maxey were both out for the Sixers.
The Grizzlies lead the all-time series 27-25 but are 11-14 as the road team. Memphis is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings overall.
Grizzlies Entered Break In Funk
These teams made a trade during last year’s draft as the Grizzlies sent guard De’Anthony Melton to Memphis for the draft rights to David Roddy (23rd overall) and Danny Green, who only played in three games this year for Memphis before being traded again. Roddy averages 6.3 points in 17.8 minutes per night.
For whatever reason, maybe simple boredom in a long season, the Grizzlies (35-22) are just 4-9 in their past 13 games – only five teams have a worse offensive rating than the Grizzlies during that stretch -- and any shot they had at finishing with the West’s best record has gone by the wayside with that slump as Memphis is now five games back of first-place Denver.
The key for the Grizz is to simply stay at No. 2 in the West and not drop further. They are the (-155) favorites at BMR’s top-rated books to finish at No. 2. The team’s updated win total is set at 49.5, with the over a slight favorite.
Memphis Light in the Middle at the Moment But Still Dangerous
Even with the week off, Memphis is expected to remain without starting center Steven Adams for at least a few more games due to a sprained right PCL. He’s one of the NBA’s best rebounders at 11.5 per game and was No. 1 in offensive rebounds before going down.
The Grizzlies do lead the NBA in points in the paint at 59.4 per game. Memphis has led the league in the category in all four seasons since naming Taylor Jenkins head coach and drafting Ja Morant in 2019.
Jenkins is a (+950) fourth favorite to win Coach of the Year honors after finishing second last season. Morant, who started in Sunday’s All-Star Game, is (+6600) to win MVP. He’s averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 assists, and 6.0 rebounds. His numbers are generally down across the board away from home.
Embiid Needed Time Off
Philadelphia (38-19) is third in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games behind second-place Milwaukee and three behind first-place Boston. The Sixers could make up ground on the Bucks immediately as Milwaukee might be without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo for at least a few games due to a sprained wrist.
The Sixers are (-115) favorites on the NBA futures to finish as the East’s third seed. They have an over-under win total of 52.5, with the under a (-130) favorite.
Note that Philly has the NBA’s toughest remaining schedule with its opponents featuring a combined winning percentage of .540. They still have two games left with both Boston and Milwaukee.
The All-Star break likely came at a great time for Joel Embiid, who is a (+450) second favorite to win his first MVP Award, as he has been battling a foot injury for weeks that has had the team list him as questionable during that stretch, although he almost always played.
Embiid thought about skipping the All-Star Game but did start for Team LeBron James and had 32 points in the loss. Embiid has scored at least 20 points in 18 straight regular-season games, the third-longest active streak in the league.
No question that the 76ers player who raised his profile most during All-Star Weekend was Mac McClung, who was spectacular in winning the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday.
McClung went unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft out of Texas Tech but won the 2021–22 NBA G League Rookie of the Year Award while playing with the South Bay Lakers. The Sixers signed McClung to a two-way contract on Feb. 14. He hasn’t played a game with the franchise yet and probably won’t.
James Harden was playing some of his best basketball entering the break with five double-doubles over his past six and averages of 22.6 points, 10.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds over that stretch. Harden’s eight games with at least 28 points and 10 assists this season are fifth in the NBA and the most such games by a Sixers player since the 2005-06 season.
Summary and Picks
Philadelphia should win, but Memphis is certainly talented enough to pull the upset or at worse keep this close. Thus, we’ll take the points. The Grizzlies are 5-1 ATS in their past six Thursday games and the Sixers 1-4 ATS in their past five.
We know Embiid is getting double-figure points barring injury, and he should get at least 10 rebounds with no Adams for Memphis.
NBA Pick: Grizzlies +4 (-110) at BetOnline
NBA Pick: Joel Embiid - Yes for Double-Double (-210) at BetOnline
*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.
