The Oklahoma City Thunder (46-20) travel to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies (23-44) on Saturday, March 16th. This game will be played at FedExForum in Memphis and televised on BSSE. The Thunder are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Grizzlies are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Mavericks. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Thunder vs Grizzlies

The Thunder Are Coming Off A Win

The Thunder clinched a 126-119 win over the Mavericks in their previous game. Going into the second half the Thunder held the lead at 65-63.

In their 66 games this season, the Thunder are 46-20 and have gone above .500. When facing Western Conference teams, the Thunder are 29-15 and have gone 17-5 vs. non-conference opponents.

Oklahoma City has an ATS record of 40-26 for this season, which includes their current two game losing streak against the spread. In their last two home games, Oklahoma City has been unable to cover the spread, and they maintain an ATS record of 22-12 at home compared to 18-14 on the road.

The Grizzlies Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their most recent game, the Grizzlies fell to the Hornets by a score of 110-98. In addition to their straight-up loss, the Grizzlies couldn’t cover the spread as +2.5 point underdogs. The over/under line for this matchup was set at 202.5 points, and the teams managed to exceed that total.

The Grizzlies, who are looking to beat the Thunder, have a sub-.500 record of 23-44. In their 67 games, the Grizzlies are 13-29 against Western Conference teams and 10-15 in non-conference games.

Memphis currently has an ATS record below .500, sitting at 32-35 at this point. When playing on the road, the Grizzlies hold an ATS record of 19-14 in contrast to a 13-21 record against the spread when playing at home.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

The Oklahoma City offense will take the floor in today’s game with the league’s 3rd ranked offense at 120.8 points per game.

Heading into their matchup with the Grizzlies, the Thunder are one of the NBA’s highest-scoring teams at 120.8 points per game. They have been particularly effective on the road, where they are averaging 118.6 points per game.

Oklahoma City’s offense has been efficient this season, shooting 50% from the field (2nd) and 39% from three-point range (1st). In terms of pace, they are 12th in the league at 99.6 possessions per game.

When it comes to getting to the free-throw line, the Thunder are 18th in the NBA with 21.4 attempts per game. They have also been strong in terms of assists, averaging 26.9 per contest (12th).

Grizzlies Offense Breakdown

Memphis has recorded an average of 105.7 points per game (30th) throughout 67 games games.

At 105.7 points per game, the Grizzlies are 30th in the NBA in scoring. Surprisingly, they have actually scored more on the road (108.5) than at home (103.1).

Memphis has struggled to shoot the ball this season, ranking 30th in field goal percentage at 43%. They are also 30th in two-point shooting at 50%.

When it comes to three-point shooting, the Grizzlies are 12th in makes but just 30th in percentage. Overall, they are 29th in true shooting percentage.

Thunder Team Defense

Coming into today’s game, the Thunder’s defense is giving up an average of 113.1 points per contest. In the terms of takeaways, Thunder are causing 11.5 turnovers per game, ranking 3rd in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 1st in rejections, averaging 6.7 blocked shots each game.

Grizzlies Team Defense

On defense, the Grizzlies come into the game ranked 9th in the league in points allowed at 112.2 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 110.3 points per contest (4th). When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Grizzlies squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 53.8% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 37.9% from downtown.

Key Players For The Thunder And Grizzlies

The outlook for today’s matchup points to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the primary point contributor for the Thunder, finishing with 31 points while maintaining a 11/20 shooting accuracy. During this season, he is delivering an average of 31.1 points per game, along with 5.6 rebounds.

As for Memphis, Desmond Bane is projected to be the primary scorer for the Grizzlies. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 24, and adding 5 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 47.4% and is averaging 24.4 points per contest.

Thunder vs Grizzlies Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Thunder have a straight up record of 3-2 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 118 points per game in these contests.
• Memphis has played well in their previous three home games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 104 points per game while allowing 111. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Memphis has an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 4-6 straight up.
• In their last three contests as the favorite, Oklahoma City has a poor record vs the spread going 1-2. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 2-1.

Thunder vs Grizzlies Prediction

Our bet is on the Thunder for a win, and we project the score to be 116-106. Additionally, we expect them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to wager on the Thunder with the spread at -9.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 219.5 and given that our model is projecting 222 points between the teams, we like the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.