Memphis Grizzlies: Contributor score predictions against ice-cold Mavericks

The Memphis Grizzlies are coming off of a solid home win against the Chicago Bulls. They’ll follow this with a tough game against the Dallas Mavericks in FedEx Forum.

This game is poised to be a good one, with the Mavericks just a single spot ahead of the Grizzlies in the Western Conference standings. The two teams will be fighting for home-court advantage in the play-in game, as the winner will have a much higher chance of earning a 7-seed by the end of the year.

These two teams have faced off just a single time so far in the 2020-21 season with the Mavs taking home a win in convincing fashion. The Grizzlies will look to even the series score with a home win.

Whoever wins the season series could have a huge advantage on tiebreakers at the end of the season in the event that these teams finish the year with the same record, so this is an extremely important game for both sides.

Can the Memphis Grizzlies even the series against the Mavs? Our contributors weigh in.

Jack Williams: The Memphis Grizzlies have to win this game. They won’t be knocked out of the playoffs if they lose, but a win here would go a long way for a franchise that is trying to get back to the playoffs. That said, I think they’ll manage to step up and get the win. Ja Morant will finally get out of his slump, while the supporting cast will do what they’ve done all season. Expect another strong game from the bench, who will play a huge part in a victory where the Grizzlies’ second unit outplays the Mavericks’ second unit.

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 119, Dallas Mavericks 106

Taylor Goebel: The current 8th seed Grizzlies face off against the current 7th seeded Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. This matchup is key for both teams as both are fighting to stay in the playoff hunt this season. Lead by Luka Doncic, the Mavericks won the previous matchup between these two teams 102-92. With both teams being 6-4 in their last 10 games this should definitely be an interesting matchup. I think Jonas Valanciunas carries the Grizzlies to a big win.

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 115, Dallas Mavericks 108

Justin Churchill: The Memphis Grizzlies won their last outing over the Chicago Bulls, bringing their record to 27-25 just behind the Dallas Mavericks in the west. It just so happens that Dallas is their next opponent. In this one, you may see a high volume of scoring coming from both sides, as neither defense is very stout. Luka Doncic will still get his, but if the Grizzlies can limit the role players around him it should be enough to bring in a win.

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 107, Dallas Mavericks 105

Brandon Martinez: After a win against the Bulls, the Grizzlies now face the Mavericks in a battle between bubble teams. Facing a tough matchup like Doncic means you need to either limit him or limit the players around him. If the Grizzlies can limit players around him, they could pull out this win. The Mavericks are coming off of two straight losses so they will be hungry for a win, but I see the Grizzlies winning a close game.

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 122, Dallas Mavericks 119

Caleb Anglin: The Memphis Grizzlies host the Dallas Mavericks on ESPN. This is a big game for the Grizzlies. They are currently the 8th seed in the Western Conference and the Mavericks are 2 games above them at the 7th seed. In their head-to-head matchups, the Mavericks are 1-0. This time around, in Memphis, I think Ja Morant and the Grizzlies keep it rolling. I predict the Grizzlies will get a W and their bench will be a huge part of this. This would extend their win streak to 2.

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 111, Dallas Mavericks 102