Grizzlies @ Pelicans Predictions 5/10/21: Ja Morant to struggle on the boards

Liking Memphis -9 is the way Zach Rainey sees this one but why though? Read on to find out his reasoning behind his Picks tonight...

With just over a week to go until the NBA’s Play-In Tournament, teams around the league are still jockeying for position in the standings.

Some just look to maybe improve their seed by one spot in the final week, while for others, it could mean the end of their season if they don’t improve their standing.

One big one Monday evening is the Memphis Grizzlies, currently in possession of the No. 9 seed, taking on the New Orleans Pelicans.

With The Golden State Warriors taking on the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz, the Grizzlies could move into the No. 8 spot with a win over New Orleans tonight and a loss by Golden State.  I’ve been seeing that this is a must-win game for the New Orleans Pelicans, who currently sit a game-and-a-half back of the final playoff spot behind the San Antonio Spurs.

I don’t disagree, but the Pelicans will be without both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, who combine for 50 points per game. While the Pelicans have played two respectable games without the duo, a two-point loss to Philadelphia 76ers squad at full strength, followed by a two-point win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Their scoring has been incredibly spread around. No player scored 20 points in the loss to Philly, but the team saw eight players get into double figures. It was very similar in the win over the Hornets. Eric Bledsoe led the team with 24 points, but they saw six players reach double figures.

I think that ends tonight against the Grizzlies. Memphis has five games remaining, three games against current non-playoff teams. That does include a back-to-back against Sacramento. I think it will be important for Memphis to get that stretch started with a win and a big one at that. I like Memphis -9. 

Memphis is finally healthy. Jonas Valunciunas recently returned, who has been pivotal to their success. He’s been an absolute beast on the boards, averaging 12.5 rebounds per game, including four on the offensive glass.

I’ll deal with Dillon Brooks’ “questionable” shot selection, considering Kyle Anderson has been someone they can go to, while Jaren Jackson’s return has been big too, averaging 15 per game. His 3-point shooting has been worrisome, shooting just 27 percent despite being a stretch forward, but I think the touch will come back with time.

For our player prop, I’m going to go with Ja Morant under 4.5 rebounds. The best price is with PointsBet at +105, but you can get it at BetMGM at -105, 888Sport at -108, the same as BetRibers and Unibet.