The new-look Toronto Raptors have shown some promise but there will be some growing pains for this young team that has lost six of its last seven games. But that’s nothing compared to what the Memphis Grizzlies are going through.
The Grizzlies’ injury report is what nightmares are made of for NBA coaches and now the roster looks like a barren wasteland heading into tonight’s game against the Raptors. As such, the NBA odds have Toronto favored by a touchdown at home.
Can the Raps advantage of the declawed Grizz and cover the spread? Or will their suspect defense give Memphis an opportunity? I break down this matchup and bring you the best bet, plus a same-game parlay, in my NBA picks and predictions for Grizzlies vs. Raptors on Monday, January 22.
Grizzlies vs Raptors odds
Grizzlies vs Raptors predictions
The new era of Toronto Raptors basketball, while showing some flashes of potential, has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start.
Following the OG Anunoby trade, the Raptors opened January 3-1. Since then, Toronto has lost six of seven and also traded Pascal Siakam. One of the main problems has been a shaky defense that ranks 26th in defensive rating this month.
But even the Raptors defense should be able to slow down this version of the Memphis Grizzlies. The injury report has been downright disgusting for the Grizz. Here’s a quick rundown:
Bane going down four games ago appears to be the straw that broke the camel’s (or grizzly’s) back. In those four games, Memphis ranks next-to-last when it comes to offensive rating and has the third-worst effective field goal percentage while putting up 102.3 points per game.
With all of those injuries, Jaren Jackson Jr. is the last man standing, and, to be fair, he’s done his best to pick up the slack putting up 36 and 26 points in the last two games. But JJJ won't keep up that level of production tonight.
Jackson was uber-efficient against the Minnesota Timberwolves two games ago, going 15-for-23 (65.2%) from the field, and while his usage is clearly up thanks to all the injuries, this is a guy who still shoots a mediocre 45.4% and 33.2% from 3-point range.
And even though the Raptors have struggled on defense, they have done a decent job against opposing bigs recently. In their last four games, they have held Kristaps Porzingis to 15 points, Bam Adebayo to 16, Nikola Vucevic to 24, and Julius Randle to 18.
With Jackson being the Grizzlies’ only viable scoring option these days, he can expect to see a lot of Scottie Barnes marking up with him in this one. A point total of 26.5 for Jackson is just too high.
My best bet: Jaren Jackson Jr. Under 26.5 points (-105 at PointsBet)
Grizzlies vs Raptors same-game parlay
Jaren Jackson Jr. Under 26.5 Points
Bruce Brown Over 4.5 Rebounds
Dennis Schroder Over 4.5 Assists
Memphis also ranks dead last in rebounding rate over the last four games, so let’s look at Raptors newcomer Bruce Brown to get in on the action. Brown is an excellent rebounding guard, averaging 4.7 boards per game this season. He has gone for seven and three rebounds, respectively, in his first two games as a Raptor.
This feels like piling on a bit, but the zombie version of the Grizzlies has also been burned by the extra pass. Memphis has allowed the eighth most assists per game over this period as well. Dennis Schroder has been moved to a reserve role but is still dishing out 5.4 assists per game when coming off the bench. Close this SGP out with him to go Over 4.5 assists.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Grizzlies vs Raptors spread and Over/Under analysis
The Raptors opened as 6.5-point home favorites and saw the early action with the line moving up as high as 7.5. But the number has come back a bit since with Toronto favored by a converted touchdown as of Monday afternoon.
Now, these two teams met in Memphis back on January 3. The Raptors won that game 116-111 as 1-point road underdogs. But here is a list of players who played in that game but won’t this time around: Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl, Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Marcus Smart. So, you can’t take a whole lot away from that result.
That said, even with all the injuries the Grizzlies are dealing with, it’s hard to have faith in the Raptors to cover a number like this. Toronto has only been favored once since the start of January and never by this many points. On top of that, the Raps rank 26th in defensive rating this month, which is never a good thing when trying to cover big chalk.
The Raptors will pull out the win tonight, but I’m not confident in them covering the spread. No play for me there.
The total opened at 226.5 and has been bet down slightly to 225.5. The Raptors' new-and-improved offense had them hitting Overs like crazy early this month, but they have sputtered a bit late and have hit the Under in four straight.
Even if Toronto’s offense, which ranks 12th in offensive rating this month, gets back on track against this shell of a Grizzlies team, this number may still be a bit high to go Over.
Grizzlies vs Raptors betting trend to know
The Grizzlies have only hit the Team Total Over in 31 of their last 85 games for -30.75 units. Find more NBA betting trends for Grizzlies vs. Raptors.
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Grizzlies vs Raptors game info
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Monday, January 22, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Sports SE-MEM, TSN |
Grizzlies vs Raptors latest injuries
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