The Memphis Grizzlies (21-10) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (5-26) on Friday, December 27th. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and televised on Gulf. The Grizzlies are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pelicans are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pelicans. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Grizzlies vs Pelicans

The Grizzlies Are Coming Off A Win

The Grizzlies improved to 21-10 this season with a dominant 155-126 win over the Raptors on Thursday. Playing at home, Memphis entered the game as -11.5 favorites and covered the spread with a +29 point margin. The total points of 281 far exceeded the O/U line of 241.

Memphis set the tone early, taking a 43-35 lead after the 1st quarter. The 2nd quarter was even at 35-35, but the Grizzlies pulled away in the 3rd, outscoring the Raptors 43-30. Heading into the 4th with a 121-100 lead, Memphis closed out the game by holding Toronto to 26 points while scoring 34 of their own.

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

New Orleans fell to 5-26 on the season after a 128-111 loss to the Rockets on Thursday. The Pelicans, who were +7 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread at home. The game’s total of 239 points exceeded the 221.5-point line by 17.5 points.

Houston took control early with a 12-0 run, stretching the score from 20-26 to 32-26. New Orleans struggled to recover, trailing 39-22 after the 1st quarter. The Rockets extended their lead to 102-74 by the end of the 3rd quarter. The Pelicans outscored the Rockets 37-26 in the 4th quarter, but it was too late to mount a comeback.

Grizzlies Offense Breakdown

The Grizzlies poured in 155 points in their win over the Raptors, shooting 53.2% from the field and hitting 18 threes at a 40% clip. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey led the way with 21 points each, with Edey adding 16 rebounds.

Desmond Bane contributed 19 points, connecting on 3 threes at 50%. Luke Kennard and Ja Morant each added 15 points, with Kennard scoring 12 in the 4th quarter.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

In their 128-111 loss to the Rockets, the Pelicans shot 43.4% from the field and 32.4% from three-point range, hitting 12 threes. Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 21 points, knocking down 4 threes at a 44.4% rate.

Murphy scored 14 of his points in the 3rd quarter, while Brandon Boston added 16 of his 17 points in the 4th. Dejounte Murray also contributed 17 points, with 9 coming in the 3rd period.

Grizzlies Team Defense

Even though the Grizzlies gave up 126 points, they tightened up defensively in the 4th quarter, allowing just 26 points to help secure the win. Memphis allowed 35 points in both the 1st and 2nd quarters and 30 in the 3rd. The Raptors shot 45% from the field.

The Grizzlies did a good job defending the three, holding Toronto to 32% shooting with 14 made threes. They also sent the Raptors to the line 18 times, where they made 14 free throws. Memphis finished with 8 steals and 8 blocks.

Pelicans Team Defense

Despite giving up 126 points, the Grizzlies tightened up defensively in the 4th quarter, allowing just 26 points to secure the win. Memphis allowed 35 points in both the 1st and 2nd quarters and 30 in the 3rd. The Raptors shot 45% from the field.

The Grizzlies held Toronto to 32% from beyond the arc, with the Raptors making 14 threes. Memphis sent Toronto to the line 18 times, where they hit 14 free throws. The Grizzlies recorded 8 steals and 8 blocks in the game.

Grizzlies vs Pelicans Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, Memphis has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 124 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
• Across their three previous home games, New Orleans has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 111 points per game.
• Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Pelicans have gone 1-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-5.
• In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Grizzlies have a strong straight up record of 3-2. In addition, their ATS record was 3-2 in these scenarios.

Grizzlies vs Pelicans Prediction

The Grizzlies is our pick to not only win with a projected score of 152-113. But we also favor them to cover the spread. Our bet is on the Grizzlies at -9.5.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 238.5, and our model predicts the Grizzlies and Pelicans to score a combined 265 points. We recommend betting on 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.