NBA Free Premium Pick for Today:
NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies @ Indiana Pacers
Rating: 3 units - Single Dime Play
Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (-6) (Play up to -7)
Odds: -105 / 1.95 on Pinnacle Sports OR -110 / 1.91 on 5Dimes OR +100 / 2.00 on Matchbook
Detailed Write Up:
Indiana beat Philadelphia on their first game, but just the fact that they were once down by double digits points against the lowly Sixers is immediately a warning sign. The Pacers struggled in stopping Philadelphia's transition game, who also easily penetrated into the basket. Of course Philadelphia lacks individual talent and so, they missed a lot, however it was still worrying how the Sixers scored against them. Indiana was benefited from the fact that Philadelphia's frontcourt got into early foul trouble and their second unit was easily outmatched by the Pacers. On the second half, the Pacers also adjusted and clogged the paint, with good games from Sloan and Stuckey.
The problem for the Pacers tonight is that they won't be facing a poor defensive team like the Sixers. It will be a lot harder for Hibbert to score against Gasol, Sloan to score against Conley and Stuckey to score against Allen. Therefore, I expect a clear regression of Indiana's offense. Regarding the match up between the Grizzlies' offense and the Pacers' defense, Indiana just can't match their defensive level from last season at the moment. If Hibbert will indeed manage to limit Gasol, Randolph will have a total mismatch over Scola. The Pacers' perimeter defense is also very far from last year's level right now and Memphis showed a good offensive performance on their season opener, something that I expect to show once again tonight. I see Memphis getting an easy win tonight and so, I'll take them in here.