On Monday, 03/17, the Sacramento Kings (33-33) will host the Memphis Grizzlies (43-25) in a Western Conference Regular-Season match-up. The Kings have slipped to the 9th spot in the West, while the Grizzlies are temporarily stationed at the third spot. Will the wayward Kings have any answer for the imposing Grizzlies? Read about the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
Kings: Falling to their bad habits
The Sacramento Kings will come into this match-up after a disappointing 16-point loss against the Phoenix Suns, despite a 23-point performance by DeMar DeRozan. The 1-point OT loss against the Los Angeles Clippers broke them, as Kawhi Leonard’s buzzer beater is still acting like a knife in the heart. They have faced defeat in four straight games, which has happened for the third time this season. Such losing streaks have undermined their winning streaks, but to be fair, they played in three of these games against tough teams without Domantas Sabonis. But they have not been able to put away average squads even in his presence and really need to fix their defense before it’s too late. They have also shot poorly from the three-point line this month, making just 11.8 triples per game in March(4th worst), largely due to the shooting inconsistencies of Malik Monk and Keegan Murray.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Malik Monk | SG: Zach LaVine | SF: DeMar DeRozan | SF: Keegan Murray | C: Domantas Sabonis
Key Injuries/Updates: The status of Domantas Sabonis, Trey Lyles, and Jae Crowder is UNCLEAR.
Grizzlies: Incredible offense but vulnerable against elite squads
The Memphis Grizzlies will come into this affair after a 34-point win against the Miami Heat behind a 31-point effort by Jaren Jackson Jr. It was their fourth win in five games, but they have an 8-9 record since the second week of February. They have lost a ton against teams with +.500 records(15-18), the second seed race tougher for them. However, they are ruthless against sub-par teams, with a 28-7 record against teams with worse than .500 records. At any rate, their offense has been on par with the league’s best Cleveland Cavaliers, producing 122.7 points per game, thanks to their league-best Pace of 103.7.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Ja Morant | SG: Desmond Bane | SF: Jaylen Wells | PF: Jaren Jackson Jr. | C: Zach Edey
Key Injuries/Updates: The status of Ja Morant, Santi Aldama, and Vince Williams Jr. is UNCLEAR.
The Kings have underperformed on the offensive end in the last four games, unable to get past the 110 mark. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies usually deal in 120s, espescially against below-average defenses like the Kings. However, Memphis also conceded a similar amount of points, which can pave the way for a high-scoring affair here. The total can go past 245 here.
Projected Predictions:
DeMar DeRozan to score over 24.5 points: The Kings Wing has scored 23.3 points per game in March. I expect him to be in the 25-27 points range here.
Keegan Murray to make over 2.5 triples: The Kings Wing has remained highly inconsistent from the long-range, making 2.1 triples per game in March on a sub-par 33.3% FG. I expect him to dial it in from deep and make around 4 threes here.
Desmond Bane to score over 22.5 points: The off-guard has put up 21 PPG in March, crossing the 21-point mark four times this month. He can make it five in this match.
Brandon Clarke to score over 9.5 points: The Wing has turned back the clock sometimes in March, scoring almost 11 PPG. I believe he can be in the 10-13 points range here.
The Kings have shot themselves in the foot too often lately, losing their way even against so-so squads. However, the Grizzlies are a top-two rank contender, and their high-paced offense can open up big-time runs. Thus, they will have to operate carefully and I do think they will re-calibrate their approach here. However, I don’t think that will stop the Grizzlies, and they can win by 5+ points.
Safe Spread Pick: Grizzlies -3.5 for +165 at BetMGM
Photo Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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