The Memphis Grizzlies (22-11) travel to face off against the Phoenix Suns (15-16) on Tuesday, December 31st. This game will be played at Footprint Center in Phoenix and televised on AZFa. Both the Grizzlies and Suns will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 9:00 ET.

Grizzlies vs Suns

The Grizzlies Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Grizzlies fell to 22-11 on the season after a 130-106 road loss to the Thunder on Sunday. Memphis entered the game as +8 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were set at 233.5, and the teams combined for 236 points.

After a 12-0 run by the Thunder early in the game, Memphis struggled to recover. Oklahoma City took control with a dominant 42-19 2nd quarter, and the Grizzlies trailed 102-74 going into the 4th. Memphis outscored the Thunder 32-28 in the final quarter but couldn’t close the gap.

The Suns Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Suns dropped to 15-16 on the season after a 109-105 road loss to the Warriors on Saturday. Phoenix was +6.5 point underdogs but managed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 214, falling short of the 220.5 O/U line.

Phoenix went on a 12-0 run to take a 55-43 lead after the game was tied at 43. They outscored the Warriors 38-27 in the 2nd quarter and led 87-82 going into the 4th, but were outscored 27-18 in the final period.

Grizzlies Offense Breakdown

In their 130-106 loss to the Thunder, the Grizzlies struggled offensively, shooting just 38.1% from the field and 27.5% from three-point range, despite making 14 threes. Desmond Bane led the way with 22 points, including 12 in the 1st quarter, and added 9 rebounds and 4 assists.

Jay Huff contributed 17 points, 9 of which came in the 4th quarter, and Luke Kennard added 16 points, hitting 4 threes and scoring 10 points in the final period. Kennard shot 50% from the field, while Huff connected on 63.6% of his attempts.

Suns Offense Breakdown

In the Suns’ 109-105 loss to the Warriors, Kevin Durant led the way with 31 points, though he shot just 41.7% from the field. Bradley Beal added 28 points, hitting 4 threes at a 36.4% clip, while Ryan Dunn chipped in 15 points on 50% shooting.

As a team, Phoenix struggled from beyond the arc, making just 9 threes at a 25.7% rate, and shot 42.4% overall. Durant scored 10 points in both the 1st and 3rd quarters, but managed just 3 in the 4th, while Beal contributed 12 of his points in the 2nd quarter.

Grizzlies Team Defense

The Grizzlies’ defense struggled on Sunday, giving up 130 points to the Thunder. They allowed 34 points in the 1st quarter and 42 in the 2nd, but tightened up in the 3rd, allowing 26 points, and gave up 28 in the 4th. Overall, the Thunder shot 50% from the field.

Memphis did well defending the three, holding Oklahoma City to 31% shooting with 14 made threes. The Thunder also went 12/12 from the free-throw line. The Grizzlies recorded 35 defensive rebounds, gave up 9 offensive boards, and added 6 steals and 4 blocks.

Suns Team Defense

The Grizzlies struggled defensively on Sunday, giving up 130 points to the Thunder. They allowed 34 points in the 1st quarter and 42 in the 2nd, but tightened up in the 3rd, holding Oklahoma City to 26 points. The Thunder shot 50% from the field overall.

Memphis did a good job defending the three, with the Thunder hitting just 14 threes on 31% shooting. The Grizzlies sent Oklahoma City to the line 12 times, where they made all their free throws. Defensively, Memphis recorded 6 steals and 4 blocks.

Grizzlies vs Suns Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Memphis has an ATS mark of 7-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 5-5 while averaging 124 points per game.
• Across their last three home contests, Phoenix has a 2-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-2, while averaging 109 points per game.
• Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Grizzlies have gone 3-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the favorite, the Suns have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-4.

Grizzlies vs Suns Prediction

Not only do we have the Suns winning this one by a score of 122-85, but we see them covering the spread. Our pick is to grab the Suns at -5.5.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 235.5 and given that our model is projecting 207 points between the teams, we like the under.

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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.