The Memphis Grizzlies put their league best 10-game winning streak to the test on Wednesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are expected to be down a key player in this game.
Guard Donovan Mitchell (groin) is listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game, which has moved the Grizzlies to 7.5-point favorites at home.
This would be the sixth game of the season that Mitchell misses, and the team has gone just 2-3 straight up in the first five that he has sat out of.
Memphis is an impressive 19-3 at home this season, covering the spread in 12 of its 20 games as home favorites.
The Grizzlies are in a tight race for the No. 1 seed in the West with the Denver Nuggets, who are playing the second night of a back-to-back Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Ja Morant and company would love to keep pace in the West, and this is certainly a favorable spot with such a key player down for the Cavs.
Here’s a look at the latest odds and a pick for this game:
Cavaliers vs. Grizzlies odds, spread and total
Cavaliers vs. Grizzlies prediction and pick
With Mitchell out of the lineup, this becomes a pretty simple bet on the Grizzlies, who have covered the spread as big favorites time and time again this season, most recently against the Phoenix Suns.
Memphis is second in the league in net rating, one spot ahead of the Cavs, and it has the best net rating in the NBA over its last 10 games.
Even though the Cavs are off to a strong start this season, the team ranks 12th in the NBA in offensive rating, compared to Memphis at No. 6. The Grizzlies should be able to take advantage of Cleveland’s lack of scoring, since replacing 28 points per game for Mitchell won’t be easy.
The Grizz have covered in seven of their 10 wins on this streak, so I’ll roll with them to keep that streak alive tonight.
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.