NBA Game Preview: Phoenix Suns at Memphis Grizzlies

Apr 1, 2022

nba game preview, free nba game preview, best nba game preview

Game: Phoenix Suns @ Memphis Grizzlies 

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET 

Odds:  Suns -7, Grizzlies +7 

Total: 229 

The top two seeds in the Western Conference – Phoenix and Memphis – meet tonight in what could be a preview of the conference final. Both teams have clinched their spot in the postseason and both are riding winning streaks. Phoenix, which owns the best record in the NBA, has won nine straight. Memphis has won six in a row despite playing without its best player and leading scorer Ja Morant. 

Memphis has been without Morant for a few weeks now and they haven’t missed a beat. They have won the last nine games in a row in which they have played without him and they are 19-2 this season in games Morant did not play. Tonight, they may not be able to overcome not having Morant since they will also be without Desmond Bane, Jaron Jackson Jr., Steven Adams, and Tyus Jones. All four players are listed as doubtful on the injury report. 

The Grizzlies also happen to be the best cover team in the NBA. Memphis is 50-27 ATS this season and 25-13 ATS in home games this year. In addition, the Grizzlies are 17-9 ATS in games where they played as the underdog. Phoenix is an incredible 55-10 SU when playing as the favorite and they have a 23-14 ATS record in road games.  

Phoenix opened as a 3.5-point favorite, but the number has moved upward with the injury report news. Bane is the Grizzlies’ second-leading scorer and without he and Morant the Memphis offense will struggle. The Grizzlies are currently the No. 1 scoring offense in the NBA averaging 115.4 points per game. No. 2 right now is Phoenix at 115.2 points a game. 

The Suns have won their last eight road games in a row and they are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games overall. The two teams have split two games this season. The road team has won each game. Memphis won the last game 114-113 which was back in December. The Grizzlies were a 7.5-point underdog in that game. 

Phoenix is averaging 126.9 points per game over its nine-game winning streak. Not surprisingly, the Over has hit in seven of the Suns’ last ten games. The Suns lean slightly Over on the season with a 40-36 O/U mark. Memphis has seen the Under hit in five of its last seven games, including the last three games in a row.  

With the top two scoring teams in the league facing each other tonight, the total is an intriguing bet. Even without Morant, the Grizzlies still average 118.2 points per game. That’s over all 21 games without their star. With Phoenix scoring nearly 127 a game over its last nine, the Over might seem like the play. However, in this series seven of the last nine games have gone Under as have four of the last five played in Memphis. The Over is 18-18-2 in Grizzlies home games this season and 18-19 in Suns road games.