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

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

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The opening round of the NBA Playoffs resumes on Wednesday night with a pivotal Game 2 showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies. Coverage begins from FedExForum in Memphis at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BETTING PREDICTION

Heading into the playoffs, the vast majority of bettors already seemed to believe that the Lakers had a legitimate shot at knocking off the second-seeded Grizzlies in the opening round, which was reflected in the preseries betting market, as LeBron James and co. entered Game 1 as relatively narrow +130 underdogs to advance to the second round; but now, with a one-game lead and Ja Morant’s health status up in the air for the foreseeable future, the Lakers have quickly shifted to -250 favorites to win the series.

For a variety of reasons, though, I’m still not quite ready to buy into the Lakers at such a steep price point, and my list of doubts starts with their inability to shoot the longball. The Lakers rank 26th in the league in three-point attempts per game (31 3PA), and they knock them down at the sixth-worst percentage clip (34% 3FG); which isn’t exactly a death sentence, but it certainly limits their upside, and makes it very difficult for them to build upon and protect leads.

Another factor that raises some skepticism about the Lakers moving forward, is the sheer amount of support that they received in their playoff opener against Memphis. The Lakers played an impressive brand of basketball in Game 1, as they racked up 128 points on 53% from the field and 43% from three-point range en route to a comfortable win over the Grizzlies; however, such a high level of offensive efficiency certainly isn’t a routine occurrence for this L. A. team, and the way in which they achieved those lofty marks doesn’t seem overly sustainable either.

In Sunday’s series opener, Anthony Davis and LeBron James combined for just 43 points on 18-of-33 from the floor, a modest tally indeed; but make no mistake about it, the real stars of the show were Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves, who combined for 52 points on 19-of-27 shooting, and in order to make a deep run in these playoffs, the Lakers’ supporting cast needs to help in boatloads like they did in Game 1.

While on the other hand, the Grizzlies’ ceiling is significantly lowered in the absence of Morant, however, don’t be fooled by their lackluster result in Game 1, this is still an excellent basketball team regardless of Morant’s status; and in a matchup that could potentially put them down 0-2 heading back to L. A. for Game 3, we’ll probably see a desperate Memphis’ squad in must-win mode put forth their best effort on Wednesday night.

All things considered, though, the Lakers appear to own a clear-cut edge in this series moving forward as long as Morant remains sidelined, but even if he fails to return, eliminating this Grizzlies’ team certainly isn’t going to be a walk in the park; and quite frankly, the Lakers are destined to receive far less help from their supporting cast in Game 2.

If the Grizzlies lose on Wednesday night and trail by two games as they head back to L. A. for Game 3, the Lakers might as well go ahead and punch their ticket to the next round; however, there’s little-to-no chance that we’ll see the Lakers’ complementary pieces reach the same heights that they did in Sunday’s series opener, and it’s tough to tell how they’ll fare without receiving that same level of support in games to come.

Score Prediction: Grizzlies 115, Lakers 109
Best Bet: Grizzlies ML (-105)

Take MEM!

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LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BETTING ODDS

LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Venue: FedExForum
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
TV-Time: TNT, 7:30 p.m. ET
Matchup
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NBA Finals Betting Odds

LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BETTING STATS

Los Angeles Lakers
SU: 45-39
ATS: 41-41-1
O/U: 44-38-1
PPG: 117.2
OPPG: 116.6

Memphis Grizzlies
SU: 51-32
ATS: 38-45
O/U: 39-43-1
PPG: 116.9
OPPG: 113.1

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

Updated on 03/17/2026

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LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BETTING TRENDS

• The Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last six games.
• The total has gone OVER in nine of the Lakers' last ten games.
• The Grizzlies are 1-5 ATS in their last six games.
• The total has gone OVER in four of Memphis' last six games.
• The Grizzlies are 13-6 SU in their last 19 games.
• The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Memphis' last 19 games against the Lakers.
• The Grizzlies are 14-2 SU in their last 16 home games.
• The Lakers are 8-1 SU in their last nine games.
• The Lakers are 4-2 ATS in their last six matchups against Memphis.
• The Lakers are 10-5 SU in their last 15 matchups against Memphis.

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