by Chuck Sommers
Saturday, Mar 11, 2023
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN
Where to watch: BSSW-DAL, BSSE-MEM
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Grizzlies -5
BetMGM: Grizzlies -5
Caesars: Grizzlies -5
Season record
Mavs: 34-33
Grizzlies: 39-26
The All-Star break is over in the NBA and it's time to get on the horse and finish up the final home stretch of the season. Big trades, uncertainty, and absolute hilarity across the board all gearing up for the final home stretch of this season. You know who is also gearing up for the home stretch? Our champion handicappers at bigal.com who are ready to win their way all the way to the playoffs. There's a lot going on that we can't wait for in these final 23-25 games and you're going to need every bit of hardcore analysis you can get from this group. Just in the last 30 days we've had some big winners. Doc's Sports has posted a 16-6-0 record in the last month (+$9,200). AAA Sports has killed it at 17-8-0, and then Al McMordie with a dominant 20-11-1 mark over the last 30 days. Everything you need to know and more about what's going on this league and sports in general will be a fun finish to the end. All you have to do is go to bigal.com and find our Best Bets page and put forth something that only you think is good. Here's a hint: Go to the bigal.com website and happy betting!
Mavs - Grizzlies preview, prediction and analysis
Well, this has all the makings of being just an absolute dumpster fire of a game if no one shows up. The Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies will likely have none of their stars available for this game, so expect this to be one giant cluster of a matchup in Memphis on Saturday.
The Mavericks are freefalling, or at least it feels like it. Dallas can’t get any consistency with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the floor, and it has nothing to do with them. No one knows how to play consistent team defense and it shows by giving up 120-plus points every night. Case in point, Doncic hurts his thigh against the New Orleans Pelicans and end up losing 113-106 despite Irving doing what he could with 27 points. No one could stop CJ McCollum’s 32.
Now, Doncic is out for this game, and Irving could miss the game for personal reasons. Get your torches and pitch forks ready.
“We missed some easy ones that we normally make and I think that affected our non-defensive effort there in the second (quarter)," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “We just stopped playing defense and they took advantage of it.”
That’s the key this whole time, Jason. No defense what so ever. And it’s getting wild that you’re just now realizing that. Anyway, the Mavs have failed to cover in five of their last six and have been horrendous against the spread all season long. If they somehow avoid the play-in, this will be the greatest accomplishment.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are not going to have Ja Morant because he decided to do some dumb stuff himself that we won’t get into. But the Grizzlies did end a three-game losing streak on Thursday with a 131-110 win over the Golden State Warriors, showing they didn’t need Morant against the worst road team in the NBA.
Tyus Jones led the way with 22 points and 11 assists, while Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. each had 21 points.
“I think we had multiple 20-point leads and they whittled it down to single digits,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “I was proud of our guys just staying the course, playing connected basketball on both sides of the floor.”
The Grizzlies are 5-2 in their last seven against the spread, so they’ve at least been able to keep things close in that regard, sans losing streak. Given the personnel they have, it should highly be expected that Memphis is favored.
Prediction
The Mavs might still be able to salvage this if Irving is a go. If not, given how this season has gone, might want to brace for another embarrassing Dallas loss. Grizzlies 118, Mavs 105
Projected starting lineup
Mavs:
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Justin Holiday
SF: Josh Green
PF: Reggie Bullock
C: Dwight Powell
Grizzlies:
PG: Tyus Jones
SG: Desmond Bane
SF: Dillon Brooks
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr.
C: Xavier Tillman
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this preview, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NBA projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
