Pelicans, Grizzlies Set to Light Up the Scoreboard

The New Orleans Pelicans have struggled mightily on their four-game road trip that mercifully comes to an end Tuesday night in Memphis. Three straight double-digit losses have dropped the Pelicans (11-15 SU, 11-15 ATS) to 12th in the Western Conference standings entering a Tuesday encounter with a Grizzlies team (11-11 SU, 11-10-1 ATS) still playing catch-up.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Grizzlies kicked things off as a 1-point favorite, but you’ll find this game as a true pick’em in most spots. The total of 228 has since climbed to 230 at the majority of sportsbooks.

New Orleans News & Notes

The Pelicans showed their potential in a four-game winning streak earlier this month that included an impressive 118-109 home victory over the Grizzlies. That streak was built largely on a strong defensive effort – and the D promptly disappeared once New Orleans hit the road, with the Pelicans having allowed an average of 131.7 points during their three-game losing streak.

They’ll be looking to repeat the formula they used in their previous meeting with Memphis: specifically, hot shooting, particularly from three-point territory. New Orleans shot better than 51 percent from the floor and 45 percent from deep, with Brandon Ingram (5-for-9), Lonzo Ball (4-for-6) and Eric Bledsoe (4-for-9) combining to connect on 56.5 percent of their long-range attempts.

Memphis News & Notes

A stretch of five consecutive postponements due to COVID-19 protocols has left the Grizzlies at the back of the NBA pack in terms of games played – and that has resulted in one of the most brutal February schedules of any team in the league. Memphis is in the midst of a stretch that will see them play 16 games this month, including four games over the next five days.

Expect the Grizzlies to find ways to give their players more rest than usual for the remainder of the month. And while that might help Memphis keep its roster fresher, it doesn’t exactly add to the team’s daily fantasy worth. The only player worth consideration in Tuesday’s showdown is guard Dillon Brooks, who is scoring-dependent but has a reasonable salary across the industry.

Betting Pick: OVER 230 (-110)

These teams came close to matching this total in their previous meeting – and given how porous the New Orleans defense has looked so far on this road trip, it’s not a stretch to expect a few more points in the rematch.