NBA basketball on Wednesday night and we will see Dallas Mavericks travel to Memphis, Tennessee to take on the Memphis Grizzlies. The game has a start time of 8:00 pm (Eastern) and will be televised locally on ESPN. Vegas odds have the Grizzlies listed as 3 point favorites, while the total sits at 191.5.
Stat Packs: The Dallas Mavericks come in at 49-32 and are currently in a tie for 7th place in the Western Conference. The Mavericks have gone a decent 23-17 on the road this year and they are 6-1 ATS the last 7 in this series. Dallas is a very good offensive team as they come in ranked 8th in scoring (104.8 ppg), 4th in shooting (47.4%), 2nd in 3pt shooting (38.6%) and 3rd in FT shooting (79.5%). Dirk Nowitzki leads the offense with 21.6 ppg and he has been on a roll of late shooting nearly 59% from the floor while averaging 23.4 points in the last 7 games. Second on the team in scoring is Monta Ellis, who averages 19.1 ppg, while Samuel Dalembert leads the team in rebounding at 6.8 rpg. Defensively the numbers don't look as good, as they 19th in points allowed (102.4 ppg) and 23rd in defensive FG% (46.4%).
The Memphis Grizzlies come in at 49-32 overall, including 26-14 on their home floor. This game will be a battle for the 7th spot in the Western Conference as both the Grizzlies and Mavericks are tied right now. Memphis comes in having won 4 in a row, with their last game being at Phoenix, which clinched a playoff spot for them. Memphis comes in ranked 27th in the league in scoring, as they have average just 96.0 ppg, but they are a good shooting team as they have hit 46.4% from the field, which is 7th in the league. Zach Randolph (17.2 ppg) and Mike Conely (17.2) lead the team in scoring, while Randolph also leads the team in rebounding (10.0 ppg). Marc Gasol (14.5 ppg) and Courtney Lee (11.0 ppg) round out the double digit scorers on the team. Defensively this is a very solid team that ranks 3rd in the league in points allowed (94.4 ppg) and 9th in defensive FG% (44.9%).
Pick: This is a huge game for both teams as the loser will have to play the Spurs in the first round of the round of the playoffs. Huge games tend to go under the Total and I see this one as no different. Dallas has been playing playoff ball down the stretch and they have really improved defensively, allowing just 95.2 ppg in their last 5 games, while the Grizzlies have played tough defense all year, especially at home, where they have allowed just 95.8 ppg. This game should feature allot of walking the ball up the court, and with both teams playing solid defense that should keep this one in the mid 180s at best.
Get Bryan Leonard's MLB AMERICAN LEAGUE GAME OF THE MONTH For Free- No Obligation - No Credit Card Required - Becoming a member is Fast and Free!
$10,000 Match Marco Baseball Challenge--- During the 2010 MLB season, Pregame Pro Marco D'Angelo won an unheard of 25 straight baseball games, never laying more than -$120! This contest replicates Marco's feat--- CLICK TO JOIN
Stay on top of the latest odds and line moves for NBA Playoffs with our real-time odds from Las Vegas and offshore!
NBA Title Prediction
Steve Fezzik from Pregame.com gives us his pick to win the NBA Title this year, with added insight from Brady Kannon.