Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant (12) dunks against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Associated Press
NBA

NBA Sunday: Greg Frank picks the Grizzlies vs Suns and lays out why these two high-scoring teams will come in under the number

Tip is 8 pm EST.

Greg Frank

0-1 Saturday, 63-61-1 overall.

Grizzlies (+6) @ Suns (234.5)

Pick: Under 234.5

Taking an under with these two teams might be playing with fire. Let’s start with the visitors. Here are the last 10 Grizzlies games:

January 4: 140-114 win at Clippers

January 2: 128-123 loss at Kings

December 29: 117-104 win vs Hornets

December 28: 119-110 loss at Nuggets

December 26: 110-97 win at Thunder

December 23: 145-115 loss vs Spurs

December 21: 119-115 win vs Kings

December 20: 114-107 loss at Cavaliers

December 18: 126-122 loss at Thunder

December 16: 118-111 win vs Heat

That’s an average total of 235.4. Now let’s look at the last 10 Suns games:

January 3: 120-112 win vs Knicks

January 1: 117-107 loss at Lakers

December 30: 122-116 win at Trail Blazers

December 28: 112-110 win at Kings

December 27: 105-96 loss at Warriors

December 23: 113-111 loss vs Nuggets

December 21: 139-125 loss vs Rockets

December 20: 126-108 loss at Thunder

December 17: 120-99 loss at Clippers

December 16: 111-110 loss vs Trail Blazers

That’s an average total of 227.9 which all of a sudden makes the under tonight look interesting.

At 234.5, it feels like the high-scoring games these two teams have played are properly accounted for in the total and then some. Memphis concludes a three-game road trip in the pacific time zone on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Grizzlies are the team with the average total in the last 10 games greater than tonight’s number and they’re the team expected to lose here as a six-point underdog. Getting that many points against a team as bad as Phoenix even after a win against the Clippers is telling. Given the quick turnaround, they’re likely not going to score as much here. Memphis throws in a clunker and rather than lay the points with Phoenix, there’s more value on the under as we don’t expect the Grizzlies to score more than 110.

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