Chicago Bulls vs. Memphis Grizzlies Predictions, Picks, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

The NBA’s Martin Luther King Day festivities will resume Monday mid-afternoon with a heavyweight non-conference bout between the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies. Coverage begins from FedExForum at 3:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

SCORE PREDICTION

Grizzlies 116, Bulls 106

BEST BETS

Grizzlies -5.5 (-110) at DraftKings

CHICAGO BULLS VS. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES PREDICTIONS

After finishing 11th in the East with a record of 31-41 SU last year, Chicago posted a surprisingly excellent start to this season, as the Bulls opened with a solid 12-5 SU and ATS run – despite getting tagged as underdogs in eight of those matchups.

The Bulls have kept that same ball rolling through January too, considering Chicago enters Monday sitting at 15-9 SU and 11-13 ATS across the last 24 games – currently ranking 1st in the East straight-up with a record of 27-14 SU, and 3rd against the spread with a record of 23-16 ATS.

On the other hand, Memphis stumbled out to a relatively pedestrian start to the season, as the Grizzlies kicked things off with a lackluster 9-10 SU and 10-9 ATS stretch – with nine of those losses coming by 10+ PTS.

The Grizzlies have played phenomenal since their opening stretch though, considering Memphis sits at 21-5 SU and 20-6 ATS across the last 26 games – despite getting tagged as underdogs in 12 of those contests.

I’ll lay the points with Memphis here, as Chicago has struggled miserably during the recent absence of Zach LaVine, currently averaging just 106.7 PPG across their latest 0-3 SU and 1-2 ATS stretch – and things likely won’t get any easier against a Grizzlies squad that’s racked up 114+ PTS eight times across their latest 11-1 SU and 10-2 ATS run (114.7 PPG).

CHICAGO BULLS VS. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BETTING ODDS

• Grizzlies -255
• Bulls +205
• Grizzlies -6 (-110) 
• Bulls +6 (-110)
• Over 224 (-110)
• Under 224 (-110)

More Odds | Futures Odds

CHICAGO BULLS VS. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BETTING RESOURCES

• Matchup: Central vs. Southwest
• Date: Monday, January 17, 2022
• Venue: FedExForum
• Location: Memphis, Tennessee
• TV-Time: TNT - 3:30 p.m. ET
• Injury Report

CHICAGO BULLS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 27-14
• ATS: 24-17
• O/U: 21-20

After last year’s underwhelming 11th place finish, Chicago went out and made some aggressive acquisitions during the offseason, which resulted in this fully revamped Bulls squad – as Zach Lavine now finds himself partnered up with a stout supporting cast consisting of DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso and other much-improved counterparts.

The Bulls’ new roster construction still contains flaws, but Billy Donovan’s team is certainly heading in the right direction, considering Chicago currently paces the Eastern Conference with a record of 27-14 SU – which is a product of a relatively well-balanced attack, as the Bulls rank 3rd in the league in offensive efficiency and 18th in defensive efficiency (1.097 OE, 1.071 DE).

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 30-15
• ATS: 29-16
• O/U: 22-23

After posting an underwhelming start to the season (9-10 SU, 10-9 ATS), Memphis briefly escaped the oddsmakers’ radar, as the Grizzlies ended up getting tagged as underdogs in seven-of-ten matchups in mid-December – yet posted a sturdy record of 6-4 SU across that timeframe.

The Grizzlies have been the hottest team in basketball since that stretch though, considering Memphis boasts impressive records of 21-5 SU and 20-6 ATS across the last 26 games – despite getting tagged as underdogs in nearly half of those matchups (12).

CHICAGO BULLS VS. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Grizzlies swept a two-game regular-season set against Chicago last year, with the first matchup staying well-under the total at a score of 101-90 – while the second soared over with a score of 126-115.

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

• CHI: DeMar DeRozan - SF (25.7 PPG, 5.2 REB, 4.8 AST)
• CHI: Nikola Vucevic - C (16.4 PPG, 11.1 REB, 3.5 AST)
• MEM: Ja Morant - PG (24.4 PPG, 5.8 REB, 6.8 AST)
• MEM: Desmond Bane - SG (17.5 PPG, 4.5 REB, 2.4 AST)

CHICAGO BULLS VS. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BETTING CONCLUSION

After having an 11-game win streak snapped by Dallas on Friday night, the Grizzlies enter Monday’s contest as six-point home favorites over the visiting Bulls – marking the fourth time Chicago has been an underdog across the last six games.

I’ll lay the points with Memphis here, as Chicago is feeling the inevitable sting from its latest health issues, currently sitting at 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS across the last five games, with three of those losses coming by 14+ PTS – setting the stage for another unfavorable matchup against a Grizzlies squad that’s 11-1 SU and 10-2 ATS across their last 12 events.

CHICAGO BULLS VS. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BETTING TRENDS

• The Bulls are 6-2 SU in their last eight matchups against Memphis.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of the last five matchups between Memphis and Chicago.
• The Bulls are 3-6 ATS in their last nine games.
• The Grizzlies are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson