NBA betting favors the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday as they host the Memphis Grizzlies. While the Lakers should win this game straight up, covering the basketball betting pointspread might prove difficult. Here is a look at the matchup between the Grizzlies and Lakers for Friday night.
NBA betting has seen the Lakers win 7 of the last 10 straight up against Memphis but the Lakers are only 3-7 against the basketball betting pointspread in those games. The key for Memphis in this NBA betting game will be energy as this is the fourth game of a five-game road trip and the first of a back-to-back as they play the Clippers tomorrow.
The Lakers and Grizzlies met four times last season and the Lakers won every game but they were just 2-2 against the NBA betting number. The games in L.A. had the Lakers winning 92-75 and 99-89. Both of those games went under the basketball betting total.
The Grizzlies are scoring a lot of points this NBA betting season but playing very little defense. That may continue all year since the starting lineup for Memphis Grizzlies looks to score first and play defense second. The Grizzlies have a nice offensive lineup of Zach Randolph, O.J.Mayo, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley. The Grizzlies even have Allen Iverson who can score. None of them though play much defense. NBA betting stats had the Grizzlies in the top five in the league in scoring but right near the bottom in points allowed. That recipe usually doesn’t work in NBA betting unless you have the best offense in the league which the Grizzlies do not.
The Lakers are winning games straight up this season but they are not covering the NBA betting pointspread. The Lakers have been missing Pau Gasol and it shows. They lost a game at home in NBA betting versus Dallas and really missed Gasol in that game. The Lakers are overpriced in NBA betting and with a key player missing they have not been a good bet so far in this basketball betting season. The Lakers are just mid-pack in terms of offensive and defensive numbers so far this NBA betting season. Los Angeles looks to be improved this season with the addition of Ron Artest but it may take some time to get him accustomed to the triangle offense. He will also have to get used to playing with Gasol when he gets back in the lineup.