by Chuck Sommers
Sunday, Dec 25, 2022
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Where to watch: ABC
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Grizzlies -6.5; Grizzlies -250, Warriors +210; O/U 229.5
FanDuel: Grizzlies -6.5; Grizzlies -250, Warriors +205; O/U 229.5
BetMGM: Grizzlies -6.5; Grizzlies -250, Warriors +200; O/U 229.5
Caesars: Grizzlies -6.5; Grizzlies -263, Warriors +210; O/U 229.5
Season record
Grizzlies: 20-11
Warriors: 15-18
Well, if you’ve never seen a balanced NBA season to this point, you’re in for some craziness along the way. A lot of new faces in new places already making an impact, and our champion handicappers are already starting to take notice. The last 30 days have seen our champion handicappers cashing in a great deal. Look at Brian Bitler going 80-55-0 in the last 30 days, a run of $18,800 net profit. How about ASA, Inc.? He’s on a 55-41-2 run the last 30 days. You know where to go for your best analysis. As the season progresses, you know we're going to be in a position to deliver you the best analysis and picks that one can have in this market. Make sure you check out our Best Bets page at bigal.com to find all of our handicappers' selections, comprehensive previews, and more!
Grizzlies - Warriors preview, prediction and analysis
Grizzlies analysis
The Memphis Grizzlies are playing like the Memphis Grizzlies, and that’s more than enough at this stage. After dropping two straight and failing to cover against Denver and Oklahoma City, the Grizzlies bounced back on Friday with a dominant 125-100 win over the Phoenix Suns, albeit minus Devin Booker. Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Brandon Clarke also chipped in with 24 points off the bench. The Grizzlies were only favored by 3 points in that one and still managed to cover by a wide margin. But we’re seeing why these are no longer the same old Grizzlies. They’re seventh in the league in scoring and are eighth in defense. That’s even when dealing with a myriad of injuries this season. Ja Morant has missed time, Desmond Bane has been out but has since returned to the lineup. Jackson was also out to begin the season, but has since returned to the lineup and done well. These Grizzlies are deep, they’re exciting to watch and are firing on all cylinders heading into a Christmas matchup that they desperately wanted, in a playoff rematch from last season that could’ve gone a lot differently had Morant been available.
Warriors analysis
The Golden State Warriors are dredging water right now and they are just trying to stay afloat. Without Steph Curry, without Andrew Wiggins, the warriors are a complete mess right now and her trying to do anything they can to actually stay competitive. The good news is that the warriors are returning home after a 6 game road trip in which only one game was decided by single digits and it was still a two possession loss. Since then, the warriors have been blitzed by Brooklyn, annihilated by New York, manhandled by Philadelphia and dominated by Milwaukee. The only win in that stretch was a six point victory against Toronto last Sunday in which the warriors were six point underdogs and easily covered. Golden State is also failed to cover five of its last six and due to the lack of consistent defense the over has cashed six straight times. Look no further than the last game against Brooklyn in which Golden State absolutely struggled. Klay Thompson did not play in that game and the best performance of the night belonged to James Wiseman who had 30 points in 27 minutes off the bench, but when you have you're starting lineup shooting below 50% that is going to cause some trouble. Jordan Poole should not be scoring just 13 points in 26 minutes if you are going to pay him the amount of money that he is getting.
Prediction
Memphis will be looking at jobs as it pertains to how this game goes because of how shorthanded Golden State is. Maybe the home crowd can get that group going and they will actually find a way to keep this competitive, but with a fully healthy Memphis team playing in this game it is going to be a long day for the home team. Grizzlies 119, Warriors 99
Betting trends
Grizzlies are 74-47 ATS in all games the last 2 seasons.
Grizzlies are 56-34 ATS when the total is greater or equal to 220 the last 2 seasons.
Grizzlies are 40-19 ATS after playing a road game the last 2 seasons.
Warriors are 43-24 ATS at home the last 2 seasons.
Projected starting lineup
Grizzlies:
PG: Ja Morant
SG: Desmond Bane
SF: Dillon Brooks
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr.
C: Steven Adams
Warriors:
PG: Jordan Poole
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Donte DiVincenzo
PF: Draymond Green
C: Kevin Looney
Injury report
Grizzlies: None
Warriors: Steph Curry (shoulder, out), Andrew Wiggins (groin, out), JaMychal Green (illness, out)
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
