Many thought this would be THE series that would go down to the wire and it looks that way. After winning the first 2 games in La La Land the Clippers took a 2-0 lead in the series before Memphis won the last 2 to tie it up.
The Warriors tied this season with a shocking win at Denver in Game 2 where they shot lights out for the floor. They now have home court advantage in this series, which is huge since the Nuggets were a few games under .500 on the road this season.
The Clippers won both of the games in La La Land and now this series heads back East. The Clippers won the last game against he Griz in Memphis, which gave L.A. the home court advantage in this series.
Venue/ Stadium: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Time/Date: 9:30 PM EST Thursday, April 25, 2013
NBA Odds From: BetOnline
Moneyline: Clippers +165 / Grizzlies -200 at Bovada
Spread: Grizzlies -4.5
Over/Under: 179.5
ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!
Check out our in-house Handicapper!!! Buy Razor Ray’s NBA Picks Today!
L.A. Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies Preview
NBA lines have the Grizzlies as 4.5-point home favorites with a total of 179.5
In Game 2 the Clippers beat the Grizzlies 93-91.
On the season the Clippers are 46-38 ATS and they have an Over/Under record of 46-38 and the Grizzlies are 47-35-2 ATS and they have an Over/Under record of 47-35-2.
These 2 teams met in the first round of last season’s playoffs with the Clippers winning in 7 even though the Grizzlies had the home court advantage.
This season the Grizzlies are 32-9 at home and the Clippers are 24-17 on the road.
The Clippers had more points in the paint in Game 2 (50-46) and that cannot happen against, as Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph have to be the key scoring guys for the Griz and it is also key that they play solid D.
The Grizzlies really have to focus on only 2 guys in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, who were the only Clippers’ starters that scored in double figures in Game 2.
Randolph averaged over 11 rpg this season, bit in both games in L.A., he only combined to grab 12 boards. He has to be more active on the glass in this game.
The Clippers have won 9 straight games. [ad-6571516]
Mike Conley scored a game high 28 points in Game 2 and he has to score again to take the offensive pressure off Randolph and Gasol.
Last season the Grizzlies trailed the Clippers 3-1 before eventually forcing a Game 7, but this game is key for them, as they cannot fall into a 0-3 hole.
In some betting trends for this playoff series the Clippers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss, 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record, and they have an Over record of 11-4 in their last 15 games.
The Grizzlies are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall, 26-11 ATS in their last 37 home games vs. a team with a winning road record, and they have an Under record of 9-3 in their last 12 games.
The Clippers are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games against the Grizzlies.
Jason’s Pick: Have to go with the Griz at home in this game, as I think this series will mirror last season’s one going the distance and tonight the Griz will win and cover.
The Nuggets won Game 1 of this Western Conference series with a late layup from 37-year old PG Andre Miller, who put in a great performance.
Say it ain’t so, Melo.
Carmelo Anthony says that a contusion he suffered in the Knicks’ loss to Toronto on Wednesday night could force him out of Sunday’s All-Star Game in Houston, denying us of the opportunity of a continuation of the on-court feud between Melo and Kevin Garnett.
Oh what a last game before the All Star break, as this is a match up of last season’s final and there is a good chance these 2 teams will meet in the finals this season.
Things just keep getting worse for the Celtics, as they are not only coming off a shocking loss to the weak Charlotte Hornets, but they lost another guard in Leandro Barbosa, who was recently lost for the season with a knee injury.
The Blazers have lost 3 straight and they are on the outside looking in being 2 games back of the Houston Rockets for the 8th spot in the Western Conference. However, while they are big double-digit underdogs in this game they did beat the Heat at home earlier this season.
The Nets have had a few days off and they needed it since they have lost 2 straight and 6 of their last 10 games. Tonight they face a Pacers’ team that is coming off a loss, but has won 6 straight home games against Brooklyn.
Houston’s offense has simply been en fuego and they have won 2 straight and scored 140 points in their last win.
The Warriors have been one of the surprises this season and they are in the 5th spot in the Western Conference, they have won 4 straight, and they are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
The Mavericks are trying to pull themselves out of a big hole. They have won 6 of 8 and are sneaking back into the picture in a very competitive Western Conference.
The Thunder are off to a terrific start to the season. They have taken great advantage of a schedule that included an unbalanced amount of home game to burst out of the gate and currently have the league’s best record.
The Nuggets just can’t seem to get any momentum going this season. They have played a disproportionately high number of games on the road so far (19 of 28) making their 17-11 ATS record all the more impressive.
The Nets have definitely upgraded their talent over the last couple of years. However, I am still left wondering why they went after Joe Johnson and his monster contract.
Are you ready for some basketball? I hope so, because the NBA kicks off this week. We’ll get a full season of the NBA, unlike last year when it was a strike-shortened season.
