Posted on
1/8/2008 4:11:02 PM
Bet on NBA - Los Angeles Lakers (- 7.5) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (+ 7.5)
By D.S. Williamson
The Lakers, who have been on a roll lately, travel to Memphis to take on a Grizzlies’ team that for some reason just hasn’t found itself. The Grizzlies have historically been a bad team, but I keep wondering why. They draft well, at least it appears like they do, and they have shown flashes of playing tough. Perhaps, the small-market theory applies here as Memphis is barely a blip on the radar.
In any case, some trends will help us figure this one out:
The Los Angeles Lakers are 2 and 10 against the spread in the last 12 meetings between these two teams.
The Memphis Grizzlies are 2 and 7 against the spread in their last 9 home games.
The Los Angeles Lakers are 8 and 6 against the spread in their 14 away games so far this season.
The Lakers have a very good against the spread away record. That will help them in this affair. Any time a team like the Lakers is favored by less than 8 points on the road against a team like Memphis than as an NBA bettor I have to take a hard look at the Lakshow.
The Grizzlies just do not match-up well against a team like the Lakers who can play an inside/outside game with Andrew Bynum, Kobe Bryant, and Derek Fisher. Bill’s kid, Luke Walton, has also been playing well lately. Throw-in LaMar Odom finally finding his place in the Laker line-up and all of the sudden you have the makings of a very, very good team.
The Grizzlies just don’t have it. Again, it may be because they play in a small market, but the fact that they keep getting beat, straight-up, by teams like Philadelphia and Houston does not bode well for them in this contest.
I like the Lakers to take it to the Grizzlies tonight and win by between 10 and 16 points.
The BetUS NBA Betting line is Los Angeles Lakers – 7.5 against the spread on the road versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Lakers are the better team. Phil Jackson has them playing with heart and their inside/outside game will be too much for the Memphis Grizzlies.
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