Memphis is in a great spot in the February 12th Trail Blazers at Grizzlies free pick. Ja Morant and Co. have won 14 of their last 18 games and they go into the all-star break hosting a Portland team on the back-to-back.
The Trail Blazers fell by 21 points on Tuesday in New Orleans which does help their cause on Wednesday a bit as minutes were very limited. That could be a major reason Memphis is just a -3.5 favorite at home in this matchup. This is the first meeting of the two teams so far this season.
Portland Needs a Bounce Back
The Trail Blazers were rolling along pretty nicely with wins in 6 of 8 prior to Tuesday’s matchup in New Orleans. The Pelicans blew the doors off that game in the second half though, ultimately winning 138-117 as -3 point favorites. Zion Williamson set a career high with 31 points in that one which bodes well for the Memphis front court in the February 12th Trail Blazers at Grizzlies free pick.
Portland does have their struggles with the front court, ranking 29th defensively vs. the PF. The Trail Blazers are also 28th vs. the PG though and have a very tough test on the back-to-back against Morant. The good thing about Tuesday’s blowout loss though was that Damian Lillard (29:04), CJ McCollum (29:46), and Hassan Whiteside (27:05) all played manageable minutes.
With the all-star break coming up, it should be full throttle for Portland minutes. That includes Lillard who had gone for 33 and 42 points prior to a 6-16 shooting night vs. New Orleans. Oddsmakers are expecting a high scoring affair at the FedEx Forum with a 235 betting total that is the highest of the night.
Memphis Trying to End 1st Half Strong
The Grizzlies have climbed into the 8 seed in the West, holding a 3 game lead over the Trail Blazers. Memphis is red hot having gone 14-4 over their last 18 games which includes an 8-2 ATS mark at home in their last 10. The Trail Blazers have covered the number in just 5 of their last 16 road tilts.
With Portland’s struggles defensively vs. the PG, expect a big night for Memphis’ back court especially budding superstar Morant. The rookie is coming off his first career triple double with a 27/10/10 line vs. Washington on Sunday. With a talented front court that features Jaren Jackson (14 points, 11 rebounds last game) and Jonas Valanciunas (13.8 rpg last 4) Memphis just matches up really well in the February 12 Trail Blazers at Grizzlies prediction.
February 12th Trail Blazers at Grizzlies Free Pick
The biggest thing for Wednesday’s game is to not overthink it – that’s hard to do in what seems like a red flag matchup though. Portland is on the back-to-back while Memphis has had the last 2 nights off. The Trail Blazers struggle vs. the PG and PF – two of Memphis’ strengths.
The Grizzlies seem like they should be a 6 or 7 point favorite in this one but the line has actually dropped from MEM -4.5 to -3.5. The good news is that only 53% of the public is on Memphis. You have to think that Portland keeps this one close early, but Memphis should ultimately pull away at the end.
Pick: Grizzlies -3.5
