It may not have been a fantastic regular season for the Los Angeles Lakers, but they appear to be intent on making the most of the opportunity for a clean slate, judging by their Game 1 performance on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Lakers trailed by six at halftime at FedExForum, but they outscored the Grizzlies by 22 points in the second half and scored the game's final 15 points in a 128-112 win.
The Grizzlies, who had the NBA's best home record in the regular season, were favored in Game 1, but they are poised to be an underdog at home for only the fifth time all season. Not only are they coming off of a stunning Game 1 loss, but they are also dealing with the potential absence of Ja Morant due to a hand injury.
Will Memphis be able to bounce back tonight to even things up? Or will Los Angeles produce another inspired performance to take full command of the series? Read on for our Lakers vs Grizzlies prediction, as well as our best bets for Game 2.
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Los Angeles Lakers vs Memphis Grizzlies Odds
Odds are via BetOnline as of Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
Spread
Los Angeles Lakers -1 (-108)
Memphis Grizzlies +1 (-112)
Over/Under
Over 227 (-110)
Under 227 (-110)
Moneyline
Los Angeles Lakers -112
Memphis Grizzlies -104
Will the Lakers Live Up to Their New Status in Game 2?
Along with being favored to win Game 2, the Lakers are firmly favored to win the series after their impressive and important Game 1 win.
But will they back that up from here?
If Morant doesn't take the court tonight, that is only a positive for the Lakers. But even if he plays, there's reason to believe in their chances to take a 2-0 lead back home.
Over their last 26 games, Los Angeles is now 19-7 SU and 15-11-0 ATS. In that stretch, they are 8-3 SU and 7-4-0 ATS in road games, though that includes a loss to the Clippers, which isn't a true road game in terms of location.
There's a lot that can be said about why things are trending up for the Lake Show, but when you are healthy, confident, and getting key contributions from the supporting cast as well as the stars, you can accomplish a lot.
Game 1 was the perfect example of that. Anthony Davis and LeBron James both had double-doubles, but the win wouldn't have happened without the contributions from Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and D'Angelo Russell.
Hachimura (29 points, six rebounds) scored 21 of his points in the second half, while Reaves scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. Russell, meanwhile, had 19 points, four rebounds, and seven assists.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Memphis Grizzlies Prediction and Best Bets
Austin Reaves over 15.5 points (Best Value: BetUS)
After scoring only nine points in the first three quarters, Reaves scored 14 of the Lakers' 32 points in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.
In the process, he continued his recent run of point production. Reaves has scored 18 or more points six times in his last nine games and has hit the 20-point mark four times in that stretch.
If this prop hits, it will likely be a good sign for the Lakers. In the last eight games in which Reaves had scored 16 or more points, the Lakers are 7-1 SU and 5-3-0 ATS.
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Eddie Griffin has been writing about and betting on sports for over a decade and has been with Betting News since 2021. For more of his thoughts on sports and sports betting, you can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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