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

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

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The opening round of the NBA Playoffs resumes on Saturday night with a compelling Game 3 showdown in the Western Conference between the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers. Coverage begins from Crypto.com Arena in L. A. at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs. LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING PREDICTION

The first two matchups of this series has been a tale of two very different basketball games. In Game 1, Memphis and L. A. traded punches back-and-forth for the majority of the contest, as the Grizzlies trailed by a score of 113-112 with just 2:45 left in the fourth quarter, but ultimately, the Lakers caught fire down the stretch and ended up running away with a 128-112 victory in the opener.

In the second matchup, however, Memphis immediately bounced back with a triumphant first quarter, as the Grizzlies managed to outscore L. A. by a score of 30-19 in the opening stanza of Game 2, and then spent the rest of the time protecting their early double-digit lead and coasting to a comfortable 103-93 win to even the series.

On the surface, it may seem like the only offbeat happenings of this series thus far have been a pair of lopsided quarters, with the Lakers outscoring Memphis by a score of 32-22 in the fourth quarter of Game 1, and the Grizzlies outscoring L. A. by a score of 30-19 in Game 2; however, for a variety of reasons, this series is destined to have a much different look when it transitions to Los Angeles for Game 3.

In the Lakers’ Game 1 victory, Anthony Davis and LeBron James combined for just 43 points on 18-of-33 from the floor; an efficient performance 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, with 23 of those points coming in the fourth quarter on 90% from the field; an occurrence that’s very unlikely to repeat itself.

In Game 2, however, L. A.’s supporting cast returned to mediocre form, and not to mention, Davis also struggled pretty badly from the field (13 PTS, 4-14 FG), as the Lakers scored just 93 points on 41% FG and 27% 3FG, which to a certain extent, is what we’ve come to expect from a Memphis’ squad that leads the league in defensive rating on its homefloor (107.4 DRtg).

Fortunately for the Grizzlies, their dominant defensive play tends to carry over in road matchups, highlighted by the fact that Memphis still ranks Top 10 in the league in defensive rating away from its home building (114 DRtg). 

Unfortunately, though, their success on offense usually doesn’t translate, considering Memphis ranks Bottom 10 in the league in offensive rating and field goal percentage on the road (111 ORtg, 46% FG), which ultimately, may set the stage for rock fight in Game 3, especially with an injured Ja Morant.

The Lakers are favored by roughly five points in the third matchup of this series, and rightfully so, as there’s a good chance that they’ll win at least one of these next two matchups; but if they do, it’ll likely be due to the shooting struggles of a Grizzlies’ team that ranks 20th in FG% and 19th in 3P% away from their home building, as opposed to the Lakers finding a way to recapture the magic of their stellar offensive performance that they put forth in Game 1.

Score Prediction: Lakers 108, Grizzlies 102
Best Bet: Under 221 (-110)

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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs. LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING ODDS

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs. LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Saturday, April 22, 2023
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
Location: Los Angeles, California
TV-Time: ESPN, 10:00 p.m. ET
Matchup
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NBA Finals Betting Odds

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs. LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING STATS

Memphis Grizzlies
SU: 52-32
ATS: 39-45
O/U: 39-44-1
PPG: 116.9
OPPG: 113.1

Los Angeles Lakers
SU: 45-40
ATS: 41-42-1
O/U: 44-39-1
PPG: 117.2
OPPG: 116.6

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

Updated on 11/15/2024

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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs. LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING TRENDS

• The Grizzlies are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games.
• The Grizzlies are 14-6 SU in their last 20 games.
• The Lakers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games.
• The total has gone OVER in nine of the Lakers' last 11 games.
• The Lakers are 8-2 SU in their last ten games.
• The Lakers are 6-1 SU in their last seven home games.
• The Grizzlies are 5-15 SU in their last 20 road games.
• The Grizzlies are 1-6 SU in their last seven road games against the Lakers.
• The total has gone UNDER in 16 of the last 20 matchups between the Lakers and Grizzlies.

Lakers vs Grizzlies Best Bet Video

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