Lakers vs. Grizzlies prediction and odds for Tuesday, February 28 (Memphis should roll)

The Memphis Grizzlies have a nationally televised matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, but the game has lost a little luster with LeBron James (foot) out of the lineup.

The bright side for Grizzlies fans is that the team has moved to a massive favorite in the game, laying up to 9.5 points at certain sportsbooks.

The Grizz picked up a blowout win over the Denver Nuggets in their previous game, and they’re looking to cut into the 5.5-game lead that the Nuggets have atop the conference.

Steven Adams (knee) is listed as out for Memphis while D’Angelo Russell (ankle) is doubtful for the Lakers. Here are the latest odds and how to bet on this game:

Lakers vs. Grizzlies odds, spread and total

Lakers vs. Grizzlies prediction and pick

Losing James and potentially Russell makes it very tough to back the Lakers in Tuesday’s matchup.

Los Angeles is just 5-9 straight up without James this season, and all but one of those losses have come by nine or more points.

That’s a good sign for the Grizz, who thrive at home this season. Memphis is 25-5 straight up at home and 16-11-1 against the spread as a home favorite, winning those games by an average margin of 11.1 points per contest. After blowing out Denver on Saturday, this is a much easier matchup for the Grizzlies at FedEx Forum.

The Lakers are just 12-16-1 against the spread as road dogs this season, and I have a hard time trusting them with James out and Russell unlikely to play. The team doesn’t have enough top-line scoring to compete with a relatively healthy Grizzlies team.

Not only that, but the Lakers love to get out and run, and Memphis is No. 3 in the league in fast break points per game. If you’re going to play the Grizzlies’ style without your best players, it’s going to be tough to beat them.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.