Grizzlies vs Celtics Odds, Spread & Predictions (Feb. 12)
By Chris Amberley in NBA Basketball
Published:
- Boston is laying four points in the Grizzlies vs Celtics odds on Sunday
- Jaylen Brown (face) and Marcus Smart (ankle) are out for the Celtics
- Keep reading for the latest Grizzlies vs Celtics odds, injury news and best bets
It’s only fitting on Super Bowl Sunday that a potential NBA Finals preview acts as the appetizer for the Big Game. The East leading Celtics (40-16, 22-7 home) host the Grizzlies (34-21, 11-16 away), the West’s second seed, in Boston.
The Celtics prevailed in the lone meeting between these two title contenders back in November, and online sportsbooks expect a repeat performance in the NBA odds.
Grizzlies vs Celtics Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis Grizzlies | +4 (-110) | +145 | OFF |
| Boston Celtics | -4 (-110) | -170 | OFF |
Odds as of February 11th at DraftKings Sportsbook. Get the DraftKings Sportsbook bonus code to bet on the Grizzlies vs Celtics game.
Boston is currently favored by four points, in a contest without a total as of Saturday night. Tip-off is set for 2 pm ET at TD Garden in Boston, MA, with ABC providing the broadcast coverage.
Boston Celtics Betting Analysis
It’s hard to poke holes in either one of these teams. After all, they’re two of the seven leading candidates in the NBA Championship odds.
Both squads are dealing with injuries to their starting five, with the Celtics’ being far more serious. Boston is without their starting backcourt. Point guard Marcus Smart is out with an ankle injury, while shooting guard Jaylen Brown is out indefinitely with a facial fracture.
To make matters worse, Malcolm Brogdon, Smart’s direct backup, is dealing with an Achilles injury. He’s expected to gut it out on Sunday, although anyone who’e ever injured their Achilles will tell you that’s easier said than done.
You would think that the injuries to Smart and Brown, two of the Celtics’ top-three players, would completely derail the team’s success. That however, has not happened. Smart has missed the last nine games, but even without him Boston has won five of six coming in.
Brown meanwhile, has missed eight games this season for a variety of reasons, and the Celtics have won seven of them. Jayson Tatum is largely to thank for keeping Boston on top of the East standings, as he’s making a case for himself in the NBA MVP odds.
41-piece for @jaytatum0 in the @celtics W 🔥
Regular. pic.twitter.com/3K7eFiTyJK
— NBA (@NBA) February 11, 2023
Tatum is fresh off his eighth 40+ point game of the season, and is averaging 31 points per night. Even without Smart, and Brown for stretches, Boston is still among the league leaders in the advanced stats over the past six games.
They rank third in defensive rating over that stretch, and 10th on offense. For the season they rank top-four in both categories, the lone team that can say that.
Memphis Grizzlies Betting Analysis
Memphis on the other hand, is fresh off back-to-back victories. That ended a nine-game stretch where they won only once, which followed an 11-game winning streak. Needless to say, the Grizzlies can be streaky.
Ja Morant has been the catalyst for this latest run, averaging 33 points over his past two starts. The All-Star guard ranks top-nine in the NBA in both points and assists, and put up 30 points and 9 assists in his first meeting with the Celtics.
ay mane. say 12 @JaMorant pic.twitter.com/f6qbIf87fu
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) February 11, 2023
Memphis isn’t quite the advanced stats darling that Boston is, but the Grizzlies are close. They rank second in the league in defensive rating and 15th on offense.
If there’s an area of concern for Memphis, it’s the Grizzlies play on the road. They’re just 11-16 straight up as visitors this season, covering in only nine of those 27 games.
Injury wise, starting center Steven Adams remains out. He’s currently dealing with a PCL sprain in his right knee, and hasn’t played since January 22nd.
Grizzlies vs Celtics Predictions
The Celtics have been excelling without Smart and Brown, but this Grizzlies team posts a much stiffer test than the majority of Boston’s past six opponents. Just three of those teams were above .500, and two of them (Brooklyn and Phoenix) were missing their best player and leading scorer when they faced the Celtics.
Memphis has more than enough depth in the front court to overcome the loss of Adams, and are fresh off two straight 15+ point victories. With Smart out, Boston is without an answer for Morant, who’s flashed a ceiling as high as any guard in the league this season.
NBA Net Rating Ranks
| Team | Rank |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 1 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 2 |
| Denver Nuggets | 3 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 4 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 5 |
At the other end, the Grizzlies are an imposing matchup for Tatum and Co. Memphis has plenty of length and athleticism to bother Tatum, which should force the Celtics ancillary pieces to have to beat them. That’s a matchup to like if you’re a Grizzlies backer, especially when catching 4 points.
Pick: Memphis Grizzlies +4 (-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.
