Pro Hoops on Friday and we will see the Brooklyn Nets travel to Memphis, Tennessee to take on the Memphis Grizzlies. The game is scheduled for an 8:00 pm (Eastern) start time and will be televised locally. Currently the odds for the game have Memphis favored by 4 points while the total sits at 178. Check out Sportsbook Spy to see who the Public is taking on all of today's games.
Free Analysis: The Brooklyn Nets got off to the best start in franchise history before a disastrous 26-day span in December cost coach Avery Johnson his job. With P.J. Carlesimo now patrolling the sideline, the Nets are back to their early season form. Brooklyn looks to win for the 13th time in 15 games since Carlesimo was named interim coach as it continues a four-game road trip Friday night with a matchup against the defensive-minded Memphis Grizzlies. Carlesimo has re-energized the Nets, who improved to 12-2 under him following Wednesday's 91-83 victory at Minnesota. The Nets also moved to 9-1 when they go with a starting lineup of Brook Lopez -- the NBA's highest-scoring center at 18.6 points per game -- guards Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, and forwards Gerald Wallace and Reggie Evans. Williams and Johnson scored 18 points apiece against the Timberwolves. But even with the Nets playing well under Carlesimo, they still have some areas needing improvement. They are averaging 91.0 points and 17.3 turnovers while shooting 42.2 percent during the three-game run.
The Memphis Grizzlies have bounced back from a three-game skid by winning three of the past four games. The Grizzlies are among the NBA leaders in opponent field goal percentage (43.5) and scoring defense (89.5), and those numbers are even better recently. Memphis is allowing teams to average 81.5 points while holding them to 40.1 percent shooting in winning three of four following a three-game skid in which it gave up 102.0 points per game and opponents shot 50.9 percent. But like Brooklyn, the Grizzlies have struggled on the offensive end. They went six straight games without topping 85 points before beating the Los Angeles Lakers 106-93 on Wednesday. The offensive eruption came 24 hours after the team dealt away reserves Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby in a salary-dump trade. Reserve forward Darrell Arthur wasted no time capitalizing on the additional playing time by scoring a season-high 20 points. Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph, who leads the NBA with 27 double-doubles, was named to the Western Conference All-Star team on Thursday.
Free Pick: 8 times this year there has been an OU line of less than 180 and 7 times it went Under, but I will go with the Over in this one. I do think we can squeeze 180 points out of this one. Memphis allows just 87 ppg at home, but they have allowed 93+ points in 3 of their last 5 games here and the Nets have averaged 96.2 ppg in their last 5 games overall and 93.7 ppg on the road. The Nets have played better defense of late, but they still allow 93.9 ppg on the road this year and the Grizzlies have averaged 92.4 ppg at home. Should be a physical game and that could mean fouls and both teams shoot 75+% from the charity stripe. I expect at least 180 points in this one.
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