Group play in the NBA Cup wraps up Friday, with several teams still alive for automatic spots to advance to the bracket format, either by winning their group or securing an at-large bid.
The Los Angeles Clippers host the Memphis Grizzlies as 6.5-point favorites with a total of 227.5 points.
Neither can win Group C, but the winner will remain alive for an at-large bid.
The 5-13 Clippers were one of the league’s biggest disappointments, especially when you take into account their off-the-court issues.
Owner Steve Ballmer is still under investigation for allegedly circumventing the salary cap with superstar Kawhi Leonard.
Additionally, Leonard has missed 10 of the team’s 18 games due to injuries or load management, prompting coach Tyronn Lue’s pointed comments this week.
He shot down the popular sports mentality of “next man up” for a short-handed team.
“Like [your best player] makes $60 million and your next guy makes $400,000, it’s not really the same,” Lue said.
In no way do the Clippers look like a cohesive and resilient team. They are also 5-13 against the spread (ATS), and this season certainly seems like a lost cause.
Meanwhile, Memphis has battled its own setbacks with headache-inducing Ja Morant. The two-time All-Star is out with a right calf injury.
For the most part, the Grizzlies have struggled with a 7-12 record (and 7-12 ATS).
Bet on the NBA?
Not only did they enter the season with lower expectations than the Clips, the Grizzlies have also been playing much better lately. They were victorious, winning three of their last four games.
In my eyes they have discovered how to play without Morant. Their front office finds and develops talent perhaps better than any other organization.
Starters like Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer are classic examples of this, and it took a while for them to find their feet and find a place in a lineup without Morant.
The Clippers are a mess, while Memphis is quite talented.
Los Angeles star James Harden can always take over as he ranks 11th in the NBA with 27.9 points per game. However, I expect the Grizzlies to exploit a Clips defense that ranks fifth in efficiency.
I have a 78-67-2 ATS record in this post sports section, and my next game is Memphis +6.5 (-115, BetMGM).
Why trust New York Post betting
Doug Kezirian is a contributor to the New York Post and has more than twenty years of experience in the gambling industry, including eleven years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He is also the rare personality who has documented success: a 14th-place finish in the 2023 Circa Million and the Las Vegas SuperContest ($37,000), two top-10 finishes in the 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58,000) and also made headlines with a $297,000 win at the 2021 NFL Draft.
#Grizzlies #Clippers #odds #prediction #NBA #picks #bets #Friday