A banged-up Golden State Warriors will look to keep the Memphis Grizzlies under .500, but that’s going to be easier said than done, as Ja Morant and company have a healthier roster that’s playing at home.

Catch this game live on Saturday, March 20, at 8 AM, Manila time

HOME TEAM: Memphis Grizzlies (18-19, 9-12 at home)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Ja Morant
  • SG: Grayson Allen
  • SF: Kyle Anderson
  • SF: Dillon Brooks 
  • C: Jonas Valanciunas

Memphis put the kibosh on a three-game losing skid, as the Grizzlies defeated the Miami Heat last Thursday, 89-85, while also covering the spread as a 1-point home underdog.

The Grizzlies ground out a win despite shooting just 35.3 FG%, though it also just showed that Memphis is capable of winning slow-burn games with their defense. The Grizzlies prefer to play fast, as they are 10th in the NBA with an average of 100.4 possessions per 48 minutes.

Memphis is allowing only 110.7 points per game this season, and the team’s stingy defense has the potential to cripple the Warriors’ offense, especially if Stephen Curry and Kelly Oubre Jr. will not be able to suit up this Saturday.

Not having Oubre on the floor would be terrific for the speedy Morant, who can run circles around the Warriors’ defense that has surrendered 118.2 points over Golden State’s last five games — 24th in the NBA during that span. The Grizzlies have covered the spread in eight of their last 10 games overall.

ROAD TEAM: Golden State Warriors (21-20, 8-13 on the road)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Nico Mannion
  • SG: Jordan Poole
  • SF: Andrew Wiggins
  • PF: Draymond Green
  • C: Kevon Looney

Injured bodies are everywhere on the side of the Warriors, who rebounded from a crushing loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers last Tuesday by defeating the lottery-bound Houston Rockets, 108-94 on the road on Thursday.

The Warriors have a number of players with iffy statuses for Saturday’s game against Memphis. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Stephen Curry are both doubtful as of the moment. On top of that, the Warriors quill not have James Wiseman and Eric Paschall, with both bigs still waiting to clear the COVID-19 protocols.

It’s best to assume that neither Oubre nor Curry will play Memphis, which means guys like Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Kevon Looney will all have to step up and help Draymond Green. Poole, for one, has been showing out of late, as the former Michigan Wolverines hotshot has averaged 17.3 points on 51.1 FG%. He could be feeling it again when the Warriors meet Memphis, as Poole is known to be a March legend.

The Warriors will touchdown in Memphis with an 11-4 record against the spread in their last 15 games versus teams with a sub-.500 record. 

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PREDICTIONS:

Spread:

The Grizzlies will dominate the possession here and get plenty of second-chance scoring opportunities. The Warriors will stick around and make the game interesting but the Grizzlies pull away with a victory. The Warriors will cover though as a 9.5-point road underdog.

Over/Under:

The Warriors’ scoring takes a huge hit without Stephen Curry. They’ll have their moments but the Grizzlies shouldn’t be expecting a shootout here. Take the Under 223.5 for this game.