The Memphis Grizzlies (29-13 SU, 21-19-2 ATS) welcome the Phoenix Suns (21-23, 22-22) to FedExForum on Monday as the hosts look to extend their win streak to 10 games. The UNDER is 8-4 in the last 12 meetings between the two teams and the clubs have been trending in opposite directions – Memphis is 5-0 in its last five home contests while Phoenix is 1-6 in its last seven road games.
The Suns come into this matchup heavily undermanned with several injuries to key players, giving the Grizzlies a huge 12.5-point edge at home on Monday night.
Latest Betting Notes: Suns
The Suns took another loss in their last game, falling 121-116 on Friday to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 31 points while Damion Lee had 31 for Phoenix in a losing effort. Devin Booker (groin), Chris Paul (hip), Landry Shamet (hip) and Cameron Payne (foot) all missed Friday’s game and will remain out on Monday.
After starting the season 15-6, the Suns have gone 6-17 since the beginning of December – the third-fewest victories in the NBA over that span. Most of their struggles have coincided with the loss of Booker, who appeared in just eight contests during December. Phoenix has won just two of its last 13 games, averaging a mere 105.3 points per game in those contests.
Latest Betting Notes: Grizzlies
The Grizzlies kept their win streak alive on Saturday, cruising to a 130-112 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Desmond Bane (25 points) and Ja Morant (23 points, 12 assists) led the way for Memphis while Chris Duarte had 25 points to top Indiana.
Unlike the Suns, the Grizzlies have trended the opposite way in terms of health as Bane made his return to the lineup just before Christmas and has provided a huge boost to the offense. The shooting guard is averaging 20.2 points per game in January, serving as an excellent wingman for Morant, who is scoring more than 30 points per game this month.
Memphis will likely need Bane to step up again on Monday as Morant is listed as questionable due to hip soreness.
The Keys to Victory: Suns
The Suns are without two stars in Booker and Paul as well as two key bench players in Payne and Shamet – needless to say, it’s difficult to see how they’ll be able to win this game.
If there is a silver lining, though, it’s that the Suns actually won the last matchup against Memphis on December 27 with a 125-108 victory at FedExForum. Duane Washington Jr. led Phoenix with 26 points in 24 minutes off the bench in that game – the Suns will need another unlikely hero to step up if they’re going to have a shot at keeping this contest close.
The Keys to Victory: Grizzlies
The Grizzlies come into this game as the hottest team in the NBA and have been firing on all cylinders, especially offensively. Memphis is averaging a whopping 124 points during its nine-game win streak, with Morant leading the team in scoring in five of those contests.
While it’s nice to have 25 or 30 points from Morant basically in the bag every night, Memphis can also rely on its impressive depth as Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and others have been contributing consistently as well. If Morant does sit this one out, the Grizzlies should still be in good shape to win by a sizable margin.
