Jason Collins
Dailysports's expert
Memphis Grizzlies
Oklahoma City Thunder
On April 25, the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder will face off in their third NBA playoff meeting. Here's my betting prediction for this encounter: should we expect a high-scoring basketball game?
Memphis Grizzlies
Although Memphis had a decent regular season, winning 48 out of 82 games, this result only secured them the eighth spot in the conference. They were just one win short of the desired top six and two wins away from the top three.
They had to go through the play-in tournament, where they first lost on the road to the Golden State Warriors, then defeated Dallas at home, which earned them a playoff spot. Judging by the first games, the Grizzlies were clearly unlucky with their first-round opponent. Star player Ja Morant averaged 20 points per game in these two matches, but more is expected from him. On their home court, they will have a better chance of winning, although challenging the series remains difficult.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Western Conference champions aim to prove that their regular season success was no fluke. It's often the case that teams run out of steam in the playoffs; we'll see how Oklahoma fares.
The team performed excellently in their home games of the first series, giving the impression that they played with reserves, without needing to show their full potential. Perhaps the Thunder are in excellent form, although it might also be that their opponent isn't providing enough resistance.
Match Facts
- Oklahoma won 32 out of 40 away games this season.
- Memphis has 27 wins in 42 home games.
- The odds for the match are: Home win – 4.7, Away win – 1.2.
Head-to-Head
So far in this series, the Eastern champions have confidently won both home games as expected. The Grizzlies faltered in the first match, losing 80-131. Memphis also didn't have much of a chance in the second game, with Oklahoma winning 118-99.
Prediction
Even on the road, Oklahoma is a heavy favorite, and it seems bookmakers believe this series will end quickly, as there isn't much faith in the Grizzlies. High-scoring basketball is expected from the teams, but I disagree; I'll take the bet on total points under 229.5.
