On Wednesday, the Memphis Grizzlies will host the Philadelphia 76ers on the second night of a home back-to-back.
Like last year, Memphis has already battled many injuries, with Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, GG Jackson, Vince Williams Jr. and Luke Kennard all missing some time.
Now, Zach Edey will be sidelined after spraining his ankle Sunday night and Williams will also be out after suffering an ankle injury Tuesday night.
Despite another injury-riddled start to the season, the Grizzlies have found a way to float above .500. Can they continue to do so against a floundering Sixers squad?
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76ers | -2.5 (-110) | -140 | o219.5 (-110) |
| Grizzlies | +2.5 (+110) | +120 | u219.5 (-110) |
If you predicted that the 76ers would begin the season with a 2-11 record despite signing Paul George, you are either crazy or had Biff’s almanac from “Back to the Future 2.”
The Sixers are free-falling. They have dropped nine of their past 10 games and are tied with Washington for the worst record in the Eastern Conference and the NBA.
Thus far in the 2024-25 campaign, the Sixers have the third-worst net rating and the lowest effective field goal percentage in the NBA.
Additionally, former MVP Joel Embiid has only been available for three of the team’s games.
Even when available, Embiid has been a shell of himself, averaging merely 14.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game on an unfathomably poor 32.4% shooting from the floor and 15.4% from 3-point land.
Conversely, despite struggling to keep their players healthy, the Grizzlies have found some success, save Tuesday night.
After an embarrassing home loss to the Nets on Oct. 30, Memphis had secured four consecutive double-digit home wins before Tuesday’s loss to Denver.
In that four-game stretch, Memphis had the second-highest net rating (+18.5) and highest rebounding percentage. It also ranked first in points in the paint and second in opponent second-chance points.
I can’t believe I’m saying it, but this could be a great bounce-back spot for the Sixers despite their brutal start.
Philly might be returning Maxey into the lineup, uniting him, Embiid and George for the first time all season.
Memphis will be on the second night of a back-to-back and presumably won’t have Edey to defend Embiid, meaning Brandon Clarke (6-foot-8) will have to assume the role if head coach Taylor Jenkins sticks to the small-ball lineups.
Further, Memphis has been hit or miss on the offensive end of the floor, and its issues with developing cohesion can be tied to the various injuries it has already dealt with.
Unfortunately, things have gotten stickier since they lost Williams again.
We will have to wait and see about Maxey’s availability, but if he plays, the Sixers can leave Memphis with a victory.
Andrew Norton handicaps the NBA, WNBA, NFL, college basketball and football, UFC and golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he achieved a standout 14.1% ROI, cashing 60% of his NBA spread picks and leading Tallysight in its SportsIQ metric.