These aren’t your Grit-and-Grind Grizzlies.
Ja Morant and Co. are surprisingly the highest-scoring team in the NBA and are coming off perhaps their best offensive game of the season heading into their matchup against the Knicks on Friday night in Memphis.
The Grizzlies lit up the Suns on Tuesday in one of the wildest games of the season, winning, 151-148, in overtime.
Head coach Taylor Jenkins appears to have found the perfect mix of shooters around Morant, who remains the team’s top ball handler despite having a down year scoring.
The Grizzlies are averaging 14 3-pointers and 29.1 assists per game — both of which are easily team highs during the Morant-Jenkins era.
The Knicks’ defense has taken a step back this season with the addition of Karl-Anthony Towns and a more offensive-minded approach.
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knicks | +4 (-110) | +146 | o244.5 (-110) |
| Grizzlies | -4 (-110) | -174 | u244.5 (-110) |
Lately, the Knicks haven’t been able to stop anybody.
Over their last 10 games, the Knicks have a 120.9 defensive rating, which ranks second-worst in the league ahead of only the Suns, and I already mentioned what the Grizzlies did to them earlier this week.
The total for Thursday’s set at a whopping 244.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook, which is highest over/under of the night, but the pair has proven they can top this number recently.
The last time these teams squared off, in late January, they combined for 249 points, and that was on a bad shooting night for the Grizzlies in the Knicks’ 143-106 win.
I’m betting on a shootout in Bluff City.
The play: Knicks-Grizzlies Over 244.5 points (-110, FanDuel Sportsbook)
Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.