Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Clippers Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

Regular season NBA action resumes on Sunday night with a compelling Western Conference showdown between the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers. Coverage begins from Crypto.com Arena in L. A. at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS BETTING PREDICTION

Thanks to the respective downfalls of some other supposed super teams, it seems like the Clippers consistently skate by with their shortcomings, considering they’ve won just three playoff series since combining the forces of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard back in 2019, yet the betting majority still seems to have a modest level of confidence in the construction of this squad’s roster, as L. A. enters Sunday’s nightcap as short home favorites over the 38-24 Grizzlies.

The championship window is closing for the current iteration of this Clippers’ team, though, and clearly, their front office is feeling the pressure. So, as a last-ditch effort, they decided to sign Russell Westbrook to a one-year deal in the aftermath of all the trade deadline drama, and now, as silly as it may sound, the addition of Westbrook might be the straw that finally breaks the camel’s back.

People often say that “adding talent to a roster never hurts,” which is true in alot of ways, however, certainly not the be-all and end-all method when it comes to managing an NBA team. Westbrook is an incredibly gifted basketball player. There’s no denying the fact that he’s one of the most physically dominant point guards of an entire generation, and not to mention, a two-time scoring champ, and the 2016-17 MVP winner. 

Due to his long track record of success, though, Russ has developed some bad habits, for lack of a better term. Westbrook is putting up roughly 14 field goal attempts per game at a 42% clip on the season, which are frustrating numbers, to say the least. To put it into perspective, Westbrook currently ranks 14th on the Clippers’ roster in shooting percentage, yet also ranks 3rd in shot attempts.

If Russ truly allowed himself to settle into a complementary role with the Clippers, his addition could prove to be incredibly beneficial for this team, and that’s where the notion of “adding talent never hurts” comes into play. However, right now, he’s only taking away attempts from PG and Kawhi by continuing to jack up an inefficient 14+ shots per game, which just adds fuel to the fire for a squad that already ranks 23rd in scoring and 19th in defensive rating (112 PPG, 113.8 ORtg).

The Grizzlies are 3-1 in their last four games, but they’ll be without Ja Morant in this contest due to some off-the-court issues. However, there’s still a good chance that we’ll see Memphis handle business on the road in Sunday’s nightcap against a Clippers’ squad that’s 0-5 since the addition of Westbrook.

Score Prediction: Grizzlies 117, Clippers 112
Best Bet: Grizzlies +6 (-110)

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS BETTING ODDS

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Sunday, March 5, 2023
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
Location: Los Angeles, California
TV-Time: ESPN, 10:00 p.m. ET
Matchup
Expert Picks

NBA Finals Betting Odds

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS BETTING STATS

Memphis Grizzlies
SU: 38-24
ATS: 30-32
O/U: 28-34
PPG: 115.6
OPPG: 111.6

Los Angeles Clippers
SU: 33-33
ATS: 32-34
O/U: 30-36
PPG: 112.4
OPPG: 112.7

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS), Over-Under (O/U)
Points Per Game (PPG), Opponents Points Per Game (OPPG)

Updated on 05/10/2024

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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS BETTING TRENDS

• The total has gone UNDER in six straight Grizzlies' games.
• The Grizzlies are 6-3 SU in their last nine games.
• The Clippers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games.
• The total has gone OVER in five of the Clippers' last seven games.
• The Clippers are 0-5 SU in their last five games.
• The total has gone OVER in four of the Clippers' last five games against Memphis.
• The Clippers are 1-4 SU in their last five home games.
• The Grizzlies are 4-1 ATS in their last five matchups against the Clippers.
• The Grizzlies are 4-1 SU in their last five matchups against the Clippers.
• The Grizzlies are 1-9 SU in their last 10 road 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