Grizzlies vs Cavaliers Predictions & Odds (Feb. 2)
By Chris Amberley in NBA Basketball
Published:
- Cleveland is a 5-point favorite over Memphis in the Grizzlies vs Cavaliers odds on Thursday
- The Cavs and Grizzlies rank second and third respectively in Net Rating
- See below for the latest Grizzlies vs Cavaliers odds, plus analysis and a betting prediction
For stretches last month the Grizzlies (32-17, 11-15 away) looked unbeatable. Towards the end of the month however, they couldn’t buy a victory. After an 11-game winning streak to start the month, Memphis dropped five straight at the tail end of January.
They finally broke their skid on January 29th, but couldn’t carry that momentum into February falling to Portland on Wednesday.
They’ll look to avoid back-to-back losses on Thursday against the Cavaliers (31-22, 21-6 home), but online sportsbooks don’t like their chances in the NBA odds.
Grizzlies vs Cavaliers Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis Grizzlies | +5 (-110) | +172 | OFF |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | -5 (-110) | -205 | OFF |
Odds as of February 1st at DraftKings Sportsbook. Get the DraftKings Sportsbook bonus code to bet on the Grizzlies vs Cavaliers game.
Cleveland opened up as a 5-point home favorite, in a game without a total as of Wednesday night. Tip-off is set for 7:30 pm ET at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, OH, and will be Game 1 of TNT’s nationwide doubleheader.
Grizzlies vs Cavaliers Betting Analysis
These two teams met roughly two weeks ago in Memphis, producing a fantastic game. The Grizzlies prevailed 115-114, led by the 25 points of Desmond Bane and 24 points from Ja Morant.
Bane had missed Memphis’ previous two contests prior to Wednesday with a knee injury, but he returned versus the Trail Blazers and should be good to go against Cleveland.
Donovan Mitchell meanwhile, sat out the Cavs contest versus the Grizz last month due to a groin injury, but has been back for two games and will be on the court Thursday.
Cleveland enters play with the second best home record in the East, and tied for the third most home wins in the league. They have an outrageous 107.8 defensive rating in their own building, better than every other team except the Grizzlies.
NBA Net Rating Ranks
| Team | Rank |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 1 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 2 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 3 |
| Denver Nuggets | 4 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 5 |
The Cavaliers own the league’s second best Net Rating overall, one spot above Memphis. They boast significant home/road splits, but Memphis’ are even more extreme. The Grizzlies have an 11.1 Net Rating in their own building. On the road, that number drops to -1.9.
Memphis has dropped five straight on the road, however it should be noted three of those losses were by two points or less.
Cleveland saw its two game home winning streak come to an end on Tuesday, falling 100-97 to the Heat. The Cavs defense was once again superb, but a cold shooting night from Mitchell and Darius Garland sunk them. The backcourt duo combined to shoot 5-of-20 from three, finishing with only 16 points a piece.
Donovan Mitchell on Cavs’ late game offense:
“We’re still figuring that part out” pic.twitter.com/KEGqRTxCPl
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) February 2, 2023
Mitchell’s production has significantly tapered off over his last five games, which must be concerning to Cleveland fans. He started the month with a 71 point performance versus the Bulls, but over his last five starts he’s averaging just 15.8 points per game.
He’s shot over 37.5% in only one of those outings, and life won’t get any easier against a Memphis team ranked second in defensive rating.
Grizzlies vs Cavaliers Predictions
Not only are the Grizzlies near the top of the defensive rating ranks, but they’re also top-seven in scoring as well. Morant has been on an absolute tear recently, racking up a triple-double in three straight games. That’s three more than he had all of last season, and he accomplished the feat on Wednesday in just 23 minutes.
Memphis is a top-six NBA Championship odds contender, and boast a title price that is two and a half time shorter than Cleveland’s. Yes, they’re on the second half of a back-to-back, and there’s a chance they rest some of their guys, but they still shouldn’t be catching 5 points in this spot.
The Cavaliers have been inconsistent at best over the past two weeks, losing five of their past eight. Their defense has been carrying them, but offensively it’s been a struggle. Cleveland has scored 103 points or less in three of its last five contests, and rank 20th in offensive rating since January 2nd.
Pick: Memphis Grizzlies +5 (-110)
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
