NBA Friday: Rockets-Grizzlies Preview
While most bettors are focused on the Super Bowl odds (click here for more info), there is plenty of action on the hardwood before we get to Friday.
Here is a preview of a key contest in the Western Conference on Friday night.
Bookmaker Odds (Bookmaker Reviews):
The Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies would both be on the outside of the playoffs looking in if they were to start today, but Friday night will be a very important matchup between two surprising teams in the NBA.
The Houston Rockets are playing without their two stars, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, yet they are still very competitive this year. The Rockets are 26-22 and are currently in ninth in the Western Conference just 1.5 games out of a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies are also a big surprise this season. They are 26-22 as well and they are above .500 for the first time in a long time. The Grizzlies young roster has gelled and they are playing really well right now. On the year, the Grizzlies are 18-6 at home.
This will be very much a revenge game for the Memphis Grizzlies. Back in mid-November, the Grizzlies were rocked by the Houston Rockets and lost by 25 points. Just a few months later, both teams have an identical record and both teams are fighting for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.
That loss dropped the Grizzlies to just 1-8 but since then, they are 25-14 overall.
The difference for Memphis this year has been their big men on the inside. Last year, Marc Gasol proved his mettle as a rookie but the Grizzlies were still missing an inside presence. They filled that gap with the addition of Zach Randolph in the offseason and now the Grizzlies are averaging a league-best 51.6 points in the paint.
When Gasol scores 15 or more and Randolph tops 20, the Grizzlies are 14-4.
The Rockets should have some problems with the Grizzlies size on the inside because they are very undersized. The Rockets are without Yao and start 6’6 Chuck Hayes at center. That is going to be a problem against a team with a good strong interior game like Memphis.
The Grizzlies will want revenge and they’ll get against the Rockets on Friday night.
Sports Gamble Pick: Grizzlies -5
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