Memphis Look To Make Franchise History | Cavaliers vs Grizzlies | OSB
Cleveland Cavaliers at Memphis Grizzlies
By Sam Batz
The Cleveland Cavaliers (nba.com/cavaliers) will travel to Tennessee’s Fedex Forum on Wednesday, Jan. 18th to take on the red-hot Memphis Grizzlies (nba.com/grizzlies). The Cavaliers have a 28-17 record and are 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a 113-103 statement victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, and the next matchup will be Cleveland’s eighth-straight contest against a Western Conference opponent. Cleveland has a win-rate of 55% (11-9) against the West, and unfortunately goes up against one of the best teams in that conference.
The Memphis Grizzlies are the NBA’s hottest team right now. They are 30-13 and have won their last 10 games. Incredibly, the Grizzlies could tie their franchise record of 11 consecutive wins with a victory over Cleveland. It would be an amazing achievement, and would put Memphis just one game away from the franchise winning-streak record. Nevertheless, Memphis will like their chances against the Cavs, as the Grizzlies have an 83.3% win-rate against Eastern Conference teams. Memphis is also one of three teams who have already reached the 30 win threshold, and are tied with the Denver Nuggets for the top spot in the West.
The Grizzlies are led by the 23-year old human highlight reel, Ja Morant, who is averaging 27.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. Morant and the Memphis offense has been on fire recently, scoring 129.0 points per game in their last 5 contests. The Grizzlies are undoubtedly the best in the league right now, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the next team on their hit list.
Cavaliers vs. Grizzlies Numbers Comparison:
Team |
Points Per Game |
Points Allowed Per Game |
Field Goal % |
3-Point % |
Offensive Rating |
Defensive Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Memphis Grizzlies |
117.6* (4th) |
111.6 (8th) |
48.2%* (7th) |
36.0%* (14th) |
114.7* (7th) |
108.9* (1st) |
|
Cleveland Cavaliers |
111.5 (26th) |
106.9* (1st) |
47.3% (13th) |
35.1% (19th) |
113.9 (12th) |
109.2 (2nd) |
*Favorable statistic
Cavaliers vs. Grizzlies Odds
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Betting Trends
The Cleveland Cavaliers:
- 22-21-2 record ATS this season
- 8-14 record ATS on the road
- 9-22 record ATS against the Western Conference
- 21-24 O/U record this season
- 5-5 O/U record in the last 10 games
- 3-6 record as the Underdogs
- 2-6 record as the Underdogs on the road
The Memphis Grizzlies:
- 22-18-3 record ATS this season
- 14-7-1 record ATS at home
- 13-4-1 record ATS against the Eastern Conference
- 22-20-1 O/U record this season
- 6-3-1 O/U record in the last 10 games
- 29-8 record as the Favorites
- 18-2 record as the Favorites at home
Cavaliers vs. Grizzlies All-Time Series
From 1996-2023, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Memphis Grizzlies have played a total of 51 regular season games. Historically, Cleveland has the advantage in this series with 31 wins, compared to the Grizzlies 20 wins. The two sides have yet to meet this season. They played their last matchup back in January of 2022, which resulted in a Grizzlies 110-106 victory over Cleveland. Memphis has won three consecutive games against the Cavaliers, averaging 121.0 points over their two games against Cleveland last season. The Cavs on the other hand, will look to continue the historic dominance they’ve had over Memphis, and break the Grizzlies current 10 game winning streak.
Key To The Game: Who Has The Better Defense?
According to the NBA’s Advanced Statistics website, the Memphis Grizzlies are ranked No. 1 on defense, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are ranked No. 2. Meaning, the two best defenses are set to do battle on Wednesday in what should be a great matchup. The Cavs have allowed the least amount of points per game (106.9), while the Grizzlies have allowed the lowest field goal percentage (44.3%). Memphis and Cleveland have yet to play, and it will be interesting to see how the league’s two best defensive sides matchup against each other. Unfortunately for Cleveland, Memphis has the better offense, and thus, will have the edge in Wednesday’s contest.
Prediction
I’ll take the Grizzlies over the Cavaliers. ESPN Analytics is giving Memphis a 65.2% chance to beat Cleveland on Wednesday. Given those odds, I am confident Memphis will get the job done and extend their streak to 11 wins in a row. Moreover, Memphis is 19-3 at home, 15-3 against the East, and 9-1 against the East at home. The Grizzlies have played exceptionally well this season and have been dominant against the East, as their record shows.
Cleveland is a great team, and they have had tremendous success this season due to their staggering defense. However, Memphis has recorded 125.2 points per game in their last 10 matchups, shooting an average of 50.3% from the field over that same stretch. If anyone can slow Memphis down it is the Cavaliers, who have limited opponents to 110.0 points or less in 60% of their games this season (27 times in 45 games), but will need to be at their absolute best in order to beat the red-hot Grizzlies. While the Cavaliers and Grizzlies match up fairly evenly on defense, Memphis is by far the better offensive side, which is why I predict they will beat Cleveland on Wednesday.
Prediction: Memphis Grizzlies Moneyline and the Under.
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