Basketball

Best NBA Tips: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Author: Priyanka Saxena on Aug 21,2020

The Milwaukee Bucks will face off against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.

Key Injuries.

Milwaukee Bucks:

Giannis Antetokounmpo: out of the game due to a suspension
Ersan Ilyasova: questionable for the game due to an elbow injury
Wesley Matthews: out of the game due to a groin injury

Memphis Grizzlies:

Jaren Jackson Jr.: out of the game with a knee injury
Tyus Jones: out of the game with a knee injury
Justise Winslow: out of the game with a hip injury

Milwaukee Bucks:

The Milwaukee Bucks are still at the top of the Eastern Conference with an impressive 56-16 overall record. They are the only team with the most number of wins in the NBA this year. They are in excellent form and are coming off a convincing victory against the Washington Wizards in their last game. Milwaukee scored 126 and restricted Washington to just 113 points. The Bucks received an excellent contribution from Brook Lopez when he scored 24 points.

Despite some problems against the Wizards, Milwaukee still managed to win the game. Giannis Antetokounmpo was ejected after he head-butted Moritz Wagner during the second quarter of the game. Giannis is the star of the team as he leads the table in rebounding, scoring, and assists.

He is holding a record of 6 boards, 5.6 assists, and an average close to 30 points per game. Coming in second after Giannis is Khris Middleton with an average of 22 points per game. The Milwaukee Bucks have performed exceptionally well in the league so far and four players have crossed the double-figure mark.

Memphis Grizzlies

Now moving on to the Memphis Grizzlies, they are stuck at the ninth spot in the Western Conference. They are holding a 33-39 record and are below the .500 mark. They are one game behind Portland Trail Blazers. They have a fierce competition to reach the top, and they enter this match with a two-game losing streak.

In their last game, they lost against the Boston Celtics with a score of 122-107. Since the restart, they have lost six of their seven games. They are in a tight spot and need to win their match against Milwaukee to get their ticket for a play-in game.

The leading scorer for Grizzlies is Ja Morant, with an average of 18 points per game. When it comes to assists, Morant has achieved 7.2 per game. With an average of 11 plus boards per game, their leading rebounder is Jonas Valanciunas. Following Morant is Jaren Jackson, with an average close to 18 points per game.

Five players hold double figures in scoring for the Grizzlies. Gasol’s field goal attempts are down to 12.6 attempts per game, but his three-pointer shooting average is at a respectable 36%. He is averaging 15.3 points per game over his last three games, including just 5 points in a loss to the Houston Rockets on Monday.

Moneyline(ML)

The Memphis Grizzlies(-154) are worth a chance. They are sitting ninth in the standings, so they have plenty to play for. Their main advantage is that Antetokounmpo is suspended for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Grizzlies are an excellent play to win outright against a team that is missing its top star. Milwaukee also has a high speed in the conference locked up, so they have nothing to play for.

Line/Against the Spread

The Grizzlies come in with a 1-6 straight up/ATS mark in seven games in the bubble, which makes it very tough to snap a two-year drought and get into the playoffs. However, it's not too late, and they can still play their way into the postseason.

The Grizzlies will not have to face the Bucks’ best player, Antetokounmpo, who has nothing to play for. It's not too late for Memphis if they manage to get a victory.

Bettors’ Pick

Our pick for the match is Milwaukee Bucks as the Memphis Grizzlies are no match for the Bucks with their defense ready to prevent them. They are equally strong in the offense, and they have good coordination to help them through. However, their best player Giannis Antetokounmpo is suspended and out for the game, which may be a little bit tough for them. The Bucks may get slowed down by Memphis’ tough defense. Based on the recent trends, we can expect a 110-95 victory for the Milwaukee Bucks.

We can hope for spirited performance and an Over result here.