NBA Spreads: Memphis Grizzlies at Charlotte Bobcats
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
The Charlotte Bobcats will try and win three straight for the first time this season when they host the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night. Charlotte beat the Wizards 104-89 at home on Saturday, and are now 4-2 under interim head coach Paul Silas. The Grizzlies fell 109-100 at Oklahoma City on Saturday, snapping a three-game winning streak. Memphis crushed the Bobcats 113-80 back on Dec.15, and our NBA spreads indicate that they are 2.5-point favorites to beat the Bobcats on the road tonight.
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The Grizzlies are a very streaky team, as they six winning streaks of two games or more, and five losing streaks of two games or more. Only once all season have the Grizzlies won after losing the previous game to end a winning streak.
While the Grizzlies are just 5-5 in their last 10 games, their biggest loss in those five games was the nine-point loss to the Thunder this past weekend. Memphis had beat the Thunder, Lakers, and Jazz in their previous three games.
Both Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay are playing outstanding basketball right now. Randolph had 27 points and 16 rebounds in the loss to the Thunder, and is averaging 26.5 points and 13.4 rebounds over his last five games. Gay is averaging 25.5 over his last four games, and this 1-2 punch is a tough thing to stop right now.
The Bobcats last played the Grizzlies in the slow down offense of Larry Brown, and are hoping that their new up-tempo offense will change that result around. Charlotte averaged just under 92 points under Brown in 28 games, but are averaging 99.2 over their last six, and the players seem to be enjoy playing for Silas much more than they did for Brown.
Stephen Jackson is averaging 25.2 points over the last six games, and D.J. Augustin is averaging 19.8 during the same stretch, both of which are well above their previous averages under Brown.
Charlotte has been without Gerald Wallace for the last three games with an ankle injury, and it appears that Wednesday will be the earliest he can return. Wallace’s injury has been eased by the recent play of second-year guard Gerald Henderson, who had 19 points and nine rebounds, and it will be big if the Bobcats can continue to get that kind of production out of Henderson.
I actually like Charlotte to at least cover, if not win this game. Memphis is just 6-14 on the road, and the Bobcats are going to come out with a ton of energy after what the Grizzlies did to them earlier this season, and I think Charlotte has a lot of confidence right now. I say take the points in this one.
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