There’s chaos on the NBA odds board for Tuesday’s game between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies. Who’s the favorite?
Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Tuesday, January 11, 2022 – 8:00 PM EST at FedExForum
Something is definitely not right here. At press time, MaximBet has the Memphis Grizzlies priced as 1.5-point home dogs for Tuesday’s matchup with the Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, Bet365 has Golden State getting 6.5 points on their NBA odds board.
There isn’t any consensus yet among the other sportsbooks regarding which line is correct. It’s a boondoggle. In theory, you can bet on both teams as underdogs and grab yourself one of the largest “middle” opportunities in NBA betting – but we’re guessing these lines will converge by the time you read this.
A quick look at the Line History section at OddsTrader shows MaximBet posting their odds Monday evening, while Bet365 was on the board early that morning, so we’re assuming Memphis is the actual favorites in this matchup – and still worth betting on at this price.
Sons of Freedom
The confusion here might stem from the recent downgrades of both Otto Porter Jr. (shoulder) and Gary Payton II (ankle) for Golden State. They’re two of the hidden reasons the Warriors (30-9 SU, 23-14-2 ATS) have been able to thrive this year; both are now listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game.
More likely, it’s the news that Draymond Green (calf) didn’t travel with the team to Memphis. Green is officially listed as day-to-day and might re-join the Dubs later this weekend, but it doesn’t look like he’ll face the Grizz – news that didn’t hit the wires until after Bet365 posted their NBA lines. That’s three of Golden State’s best defenders possibly on the shelf.
Of course, most of the attention in San Francisco is on Klay Thompson, who finally made his return to the Warriors on Sunday. Thompson scored 17 points on 7-of-18 shooting as the Dubs beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-82, cashing in as 8-point home faves.
Green, Porter, and Payton were all in uniform for Golden State, though, and while Thompson is obviously a gifted shooter, his defense has long been suspect at best. It’s only going to be worse after all those major injuries and setbacks.
Ja Rules
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies (28-14 SU, 27-15 ATS) are enjoying a renaissance of their own. This might be the best team the franchise has ever assembled, with a bona fide All-Star in Ja Morant, an emerging sidekick in Desmond Bane, and tons of quality players coming off the bench.
The Grizz did just lose swingman Dillon Brooks for the next 3-5 weeks to a sprained left ankle, but this could be a case of addition by subtraction, given the superior play of Bane and De’Anthony Melton.
Losing Steven Adams to the COVID-19 list is more problematic, although there’s a chance he’ll be cleared in time to play Tuesday. Bet with confidence on Memphis if Adams plays, and if you can get them at that bargain price, even better.
NBA Pick: Grizzlies +2.5 (-110) with BetMGM
