NBA Best Bets: Can Grizzlies Keep it Close Against Lakers?

Bettors are mad at the Grizzlies and are looking to bet against them versus the Lakers. Here's why going the other way is the better bet on Friday night.

Before we jump into tonight's NBA action, let take a minute to look back at last night. 

The Warriors were thoroughly outplayed by the Rockets. Golden State looked like they were not ready to get back on the court after the All-Star break. In our other best bet, the Nets and Rockets did barely go over the total, but needed overtime to do it. If you remember, I advised betting a small amount on the game going to overtime just in case we lost the under in the extra frame. Well, we hit that part of the bet last night, which ended being a better play than the under. Let's keep that in mind while we are betting unders moving forward.

This evening we have a nine-game slate to bet on. Other than two or three of those games, it doesn't look like it's going to be a night of very competitive action. A couple of underdogs that are interesting to me are the Cavaliers (who play the Wizards) and the Timberwolves (who host the Kemba Walker-less Celtics). 

The Cavs fired John Beilein over the break. The public is running to back the Wizards because they feel as if the Cleveland will be out of sync. I would actually bet that the change will make the Cavs play better. I would not be shocked if they beat the Wizards in D.C. tonight.

I would also lean toward Dallas tonight as a home favorite with Luka Doncic back in the lineup. We have spoken all season about how well Dallas plays on the road.

Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Thunder -1.5

I could not be happier to see this game on the schedule. The against-the-spread darlings of the first half of the season are in what I consider to be a good spot this evening. 

This game opened up as a pick 'em. The public is backing the road Nuggets on 70% of the tickets, yet the spread has moved in the Thunder's favor. That's classic reverse steam line movement. Sometimes bettors can get burnt by the steam, but I'm confident the Thunder, who are 35-19-1 against the spread this season, will get the job done. 

Nationally televised games on a night where there are no NFL or College Football games are very heavily bet. That will be the case with this game. Bookmakers are taking a lot of action on the Nuggets yet they made them the underdogs in this game. By making Denver the underdogs, they are showing that they have liability on the Thunder. 

So we have a team we love versus the spread, reverse steam and a trendy underdog in Denver. I love OKC tonight. 

The total in this game is 216. If it moves down even a half-point before tip-off, bet the under.

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Grizzlies +10.5

This is perfect night to get back rolling again as I have another one of my betting favorites in a great spot. The Grizzlies have been very profitable for us through the first half of the season. They are 30-24-1 against the spread, and are over .500 ATS on the road. 

The Grizzlies are coming off a loss to the Kings last night in a game that a lot of people bet on Memphis to win. I'm sure the Grizzlies ruined a ton of parlays last night. With that being said, bettors are mad at them tonight and looking to bet against them, especially since they are at Staples Center playing the big bad Lakers. What people don't realize is that Memphis plays its best against better teams.

They have wins over the Mavericks, Rockets, Clippers, Thunder, Heat, Jazz and these same Nuggets already this season. If the playoffs started today, the Lakers and Grizzlies would be first round opponents. Memphis will keep it close tonight. 

Season Record: 71-61

MORE FROM SI: 

NBA Team Futures Bets You Should Make Right Now

NBA Player Awards Bets You Should Make Right Now

2020 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Anthony Edwards Stays At Top Post-Trade Deadline

NBA Power Rankings: Assessing the League After a Wild Trade Deadline

Early 2020 Heisman Odds: Fields, Lawrence Lead the Way

NFL 2020 MVP Odds: Any Long Shots Worth a Bet?