We have a Bulls vs. Grizzlies prediction as Chicago travels to Memphis for a Tuesday night NBA matchup.
The Bulls are middling, sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and trying to make the play-in tournament. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are second in the West, looking like a true contender.
However, injuries to Ja Morant and Steven Adams have caused issues recently, leading to three straight losses. But Tuesday might be an excellent spot to bet on a Memphis bounce-back.
Let’s take advantage of that in the betting market.
Spread: Bulls +7 (-110) vs. Grizzlies -7 (-110)
Moneyline: Bulls (+240) vs. Grizzlies (-295)
Total: Over 233.5 (-110) | Under 233.5 (-110)
Memphis Grizzlies -7 (-110) at FanDuel Sportsbook
The Grizzlies have been in free fall since Adams’ injury, losing eight of their past nine. But Ja Morant should be back after not sitting Sunday with a wrist injury, and the Grizzlies desperately need a win.
Meanwhile, Tuesday brings a problematic situation for Chicago.
The Bulls play Memphis on a back-to-back after beating San Antonio in Chicago Monday night, setting up an overnight plane trip for a third game in four days. And, given the Spurs are the worst team in the NBA, Tuesday might be a letdown performance for the Bulls against a step up in talent.
And it wasn’t like the Bulls played well at home against the NBA’s worst team. Chicago closed as a double-digit favorite but was tied with San Antonio late in the third quarter.
In terms of Tuesday’s on-court matchup, it also doesn’t bode well for the Bulls.
No team takes more mid-range shots than Chicago, primarily because of DeMar DeRozan’s signature mid-range game. But Memphis prevents mid-range shots at the second-highest rate in the NBA while allowing the third-lowest mid-range shooting percentage, per Cleaning the Glass.
On the other end of the floor, Memphis gets out in transition at the highest rate in the NBA; Chicago ranks 26th in points per 100 transition plays allowed (131.7).
The worry is Nikola Vucevic dominates the boards with Adams sidelined, as the Grizzlies will miss their big man’s 11.5 rebounds per game. However, the Bulls don’t crash the offensive boards well (28th in offensive rebounding rate), so Memphis should avoid allowing costly second-chance opportunities.
Finally, Memphis has owned this matchup. The Grizzlies are 4-1 straight up and against the spread in their past five games playing the Bulls, sweeping the season series last year.
Ultimately, Chicago is in a letdown spot with tired legs and is at a matchup disadvantage against a hungry Grizzlies team hunting for a bounce-back win.
All the stars are aligning against the Bulls on Tuesday night.
The spread is already moving against Chicago, so make sure you bet on Memphis as soon as possible. I see this as a runaway, double-digit victory for Memphis, so I’ll bet the Grizzlies at -9.5 (-110) or better.
