Basketball <\/p>\n
The Grizzlies are on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Wizards 111-82.<\/p>\n
If the Grizzlies keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 17-8 in no time. On the other hand, the Wizards will have to make due with a 3-19 record unless they turn things around (and fast).<\/p>\n
Memphis Grizzlies @ Washington Wizards<\/p>\n
Current Records: Memphis 16-8, Washington 3-18<\/p>\n
The Wizards will be in front of their home fans on Sunday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They and the Memphis Grizzlies will face off at 7:00 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. The two teams worked hard to overcome the odds in their previous battles and are surely both feeling confident heading into this clash.<\/p>\n
Having struggled with 16 losses in a row, the Wizards finally turned things around against the Nuggets on Saturday. They walked away with a 122-113 victory over Denver. While the oddsmakers failed to call the winner, they nailed the 235 point over\/under.<\/p>\n
The Wizards’ win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jordan Poole, who had 39 points in addition to eight assists and five rebounds. The dominant performance also gave Poole a new career-high in threes (nine). Another player making a difference was Justin Champagnie, who went 9 for 13 en route to 23 points plus eight rebounds and two steals.<\/p>\n
The Wizards smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they’ve now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies hadn’t done well against the Celtics recently (they were 1-9 in their previous ten matchups), but they didn’t let the past get in their way on Saturday. The Grizzlies managed a 127-121 win over the Celtics. Memphis’ season wasn’t pretty last year but it’s starting to look like struggles are in the rearview.<\/p>\n
The Grizzlies got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ja Morant out in front who shot 4-for-6 from long range and almost dropped a triple-double on 32 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Morant had some trouble finding his footing against the Kings on Thursday, so this was a step in the right direction. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaren Jackson Jr., who almost dropped a double-double on 27 points and nine rebounds.<\/p>\n
Washington’s win ended a seven-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-18. As for Memphis, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they’ve won eight of their last nine games, which provided a massive bump to their 16-8 record this season.<\/p>\n
Not only did both teams in this Sunday’s matchup win their last matches, they also took care of their bettors and covered the spread. Looking forward, the game looks promising for the Grizzlies, as the team is favored by a full 11 points. This contest will be Washington’s 21st straight as the underdogs (so far over this stretch they are 7-13 against the spread).<\/p>\n
The Wizards suffered a grim 128-104 defeat to the Grizzlies in their previous meeting back in November. Will the Wizards have more luck at home instead of on the road?<\/p>\n
Memphis is a big 11-point favorite against Washington, according to the latest NBA odds<\/a>.<\/p>\n The line has drifted a bit towards the Grizzlies, as the game opened with the Grizzlies as a 9.5-point favorite.<\/p>\n The over\/under is 240 points.<\/p>\n See NBA picks<\/a> for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now<\/a>.<\/p>\n Memphis has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Washington.<\/p>\nSeries History<\/h3>\n
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