The Memphis Grizzlies are in serious trouble in the first round of the playoffs, as they are down 0-2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder and have been outscored by 70 points in the first two games of their series.
Now, oddsmakers have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC favored on the road in Game 3.
The Thunder have been dominant all season long, posting a 23-12-2 against the spread record when set as road favorites. They also finished the regular season with the best net rating in the NBA.
Memphis, which needed to fight through the play-in tournament just to make the playoffs, would love to avoid a 3-0 deficit since no team in NBA history has ever come back from that.
Here’s a look at the odds, players to bet on in the prop market and my prediction for this Game 3 matchup between the No. 1 Thunder and No. 8 Grizzlies in the Western Conference.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spread
Moneyline
Total
Thunder Injury Report
Grizzlies Injury Report
Oklahoma City Thunder Best NBA Prop Bet
It hasn’t been a good start to the postseason for SGA, but the MVP candidate still scored 27 points in Game 2 despite shooting just 10-for-29 from the field.
This is a prime buy-low spot for Gilgeus-Alexander, who averaged an NBA-best 32.7 points per game during the regular season.
Even if bettors are turned off by the poor percentages this postseason, SGA’s usage remains rock solid. In a road game against Memphis, he may have to play a few more minutes for OKC to truly put this game away, and the Grizzlies haven’t exactly stopped the star guard from getting to his spots in this series.
Memphis Grizzlies Best NBA Prop Bet
So far this postseason, Zach Edey has played 19:39 and 26:08 for the Grizzlies, struggling to make any impact on the offensive end.
Edey has just four points in each game, and he’s taken eight shots total in the series. This is a tough matchup for the big man, as the Thunder have a ton of size down low in Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren.
During the regular season, OKC allowed the fewest points per game in the paint of any team. I expect that trend to continue, making the UNDER an easy bet for Edey at this line.
Oklahoma City is 2-0 against the spread in the playoffs, winning by 51 points in Game 1 against Memphis and 19 points in Game 2.
The crazy part?
Gilgeous-Alexander has yet to have a good game, shooting 14-for-42 from the field in the first two games of this series. Yet, the Thunder are easily up 2-0.
OKC is a great bet as an 8.5-point favorite, as this Memphis team is on the brink of rolling over and calling it a season. Not only have the Grizzlies not beaten a Western Conference team that is over .500 since late January, but they have gone 0-6 against OKC this season.
The Thunder were money for bettors as road favorites during the regular season, going 23-12-2 against the spread, and I think they win this game in a blowout if SGA gets back on track.
Memphis has done nothing in this series to show that it can keep up with this Thunder attack.
Pick: Thunder -8.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
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