The Cleveland Cavaliers (31-22 SU, 26-24-3 ATS) welcome the Memphis Grizzlies (32-19, 24-25-2) to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Thursday as the visitors look to get out of a funk, having just one win in their last seven contests.
The Cavaliers opened as the slight 2-point favorite and have historically had success against the Grizzlies at home, winning 13 of the last 17 meetings in Cleveland. Look for this one to be a lower-scoring affair as the UNDER is 7-0 in Memphis’ last seven games and 5-1 in Cleveland’s last six.
Latest Betting Notes: Grizzlies
The Grizzlies snapped a five-game skid on Sunday but took another loss in their last contest, falling 122-112 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Portland outscored Memphis 38-22 in the fourth quarter as Damian Lillard dropped 42 points and 10 assists in the win. Ja Morant topped the Grizzlies with 32 points and 12 assists.
Defense has been a sore spot for the Grizzlies during this recent skid as they’ve given up 120.3 points per game over their last six losses. Memphis actually owns a top-10 defense in the NBA this season but hasn’t shown that lately. And despite Morant averaging about 27 points over his last six outings, the Grizzlies have been unable to outscore their defensive woes.
Latest Betting Notes: Cavaliers
The Cavaliers came up just short in their last game, losing 100-97 to the Miami Heat on Tuesday. Evan Mobley led Cleveland with just 19 points while four others finished with 14-plus for the Cavs. Jimmy Butler had a game-high 23 points to lead the Heat to the win.
It was an up-and-down month of January for the Cavaliers, who went 8-8 and failed to string together two consecutive wins after January 4. If there is something to be positive about, it’s team defense as the Cavs have surrendered a mere 102.2 points per game over their last six contests.
The Keys to Victory: Grizzlies
After going on an 11-game winning streak shortly after Christmas, the Grizzlies have really cooled off due to some lackluster defensive play. Normally when the Grizzlies have struggled defensively, they’ve been able to combat that with high-scoring performances led by Morant, but the point guard hasn’t been able to carry his team lately.
If Memphis is going to get back into the win column, they’ll need to find a way to tighten up defensively while also getting their offense going against a stingy Cleveland squad. Morant will certainly need to have a big night if the Grizzlies are going to come out on top.
The Keys to Victory: Cavaliers
The Cavs can hang their hats on their superb defensive play, not only over the last couple of weeks but throughout the season as Cleveland ranks first in the NBA at 106.8 points against per game. If there’s room for improvement, it’s certainly on the offensive side as they’re fourth last in the league, scoring just 111.2 points per contest.
Cleveland obviously doesn’t have the same offensive talent as Memphis so the Cavs will need to play to their defensive strength and try to contain the Grizzlies’ top players, particularly Morant and Desmond Bane. If they can keep that duo to 40 or 45 points combined, they’ll have a great chance at the win.
