NBA Basketball
2011-01-28 - Memphis Grizzlies at Philadelphia 76ers
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States: NBA Basketball
Friday 28 January 2011 - Tip-Off 7pm ET
Midnight (British Standard Time)
Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers (20-25) are up to 7th in the Eastern Conference Play Off berths and recent form has them thinking of even better as the New York Knicks are back within sight. The team has made the most of their home court advantage, but the confidence is high wherever they play and the rotation has been providing points from unexpected sources.
They face a Memphis Grizzlies (22-24) that come into the game after seeing their winning streak brought to a halt by the New Jersey Nets and playing without OJ Mayo who has been suspended for 10 games after testing positive for the banned substance DHEA.
Mayo apologised to his teammates and fans after being banned and he has been having a poor season overall. He is averaging a career low of 12.2 points per game and was held scoreless for the first time in the loss to the Nets. Mayo was also involved in a fight with Tony Allen over a gambling debt that had built up on road trips.
Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph continue to put in the big performances to give Memphis a chance in games. Randolph moved into 4th in the NBA for double-doubles on the season at 32 after extending the consecutive run to 12 games. He has 7 double-doubles in 17 games against Philadelpia.
The Grizzlies bench was outscored 56-12 in the loss to New Jersey and will need to rectify that against a solid second unit that the 76ers have.
Marreese Speights scored a season high of 23 points off the bench in the win at Toronto to help Philadelphia extend their winning streak to 3 games and they have won 5 of their last 7. The last time the 76ers managed to win 4 in a row was just under a year ago.
Much of the success the 76ers are enjoying is built on the bench. The unit outscored the Toronto bench 58-17 and all 4 bench players reached double figures. It was also the 6th time in 7 games that Philadelphia had been boosted by a bench player surpassing 20 points.
Head to Head
Philadelphia have generally had their own way with Memphis in recent meetings, winning 6 of the last 7 games in the series.
They had won the previous 4 games at home against the Grizzlies but were beaten here last season as they split the season series 1-1.
Philadelphia are 14-7 against the spread at home this season, Memphis are 15-11 on the road.
Philadelphia are 14-2-1 against the spread on 1 days rest, Memphis are 11-10 on the same amount of rest period.
Other Interesting Notes
Philadelphia are 22-8 against the spread in their last 30 games overall. They are 19-7-1 following an against the spread win.
They are 17-7 against the spread against a team with a losing record overall.
The 76ers are 8-3 against the spread against a team with a losing record on the road.
Philadelphia are 7-3 against the spread as home favourites. They are 4-1 when favoured by between 0.5 and 5 points.
Memphis are 18-8 against the spread in their last 26 games overall.
They are 13-3 against the spread as the road underdog and this becomes 5-1 when they are given between 0.5 and 5 points.
Prediction
I am favouring Philadelphia to win this game and cover the spread that has been given. I am actually slightly surprised the spread is as short as it is and thought it would be around the 6/7 point mark.
Memphis might be looking ahead to returning home as they finally complete their 4 game road trip and it is hard to judge their emotional state after blowing a big lead in their last game against New Jersey and then losing that game.
Philadelphia have also been playing brilliantly at home in recent games and have shown some real ability in their last 7 games overall.
The key to the game could be the production from the benches and that is where the 76ers have a clear edge and I expect that to be the difference here. I'll be taking the home team to cover the points.
The Pick :
Philadelphia 76ers 94-88 Memphis Grizzlies
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll take the Philadelphia 76ers -3 PointsFollow me on Twitter @DavindaAulak
