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NBA Game Preview & Prediction: Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs

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NBA Game Preview & Prediction: Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs

Game Details:

  • Matchup: Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs
  • Date: Saturday, November 18
  • Time: 8:10 PM EST
  • Venue: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
  • Spread: Spurs -6
  • Total: 232.5

Preview: Injury Chaos Defines Grizzlies-Spurs Showdown

The Memphis Grizzlies travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs in a game that has been completely upended by significant injuries to both rosters, making the betting lines a true head-scratcher. The main story is the confirmed absence of San Antonio’s generational talent, Victor Wembanyama, which puts the Spurs’ status as a 6-point favorite into serious question.

The Grizzlies are navigating their own major personnel uncertainty. Superstar point guard Ja Morant, the engine of Memphis’s offense, is listed as questionable with ankle soreness heading into the contest. His availability will be the single most important factor for a Grizzlies team looking to capitalize on a wounded opponent. Memphis is already without the services of Brandon Clarke (knee) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), thinning their depth.

On the other side, the Spurs are facing a daunting reality. According to a report from Shams Charania of ESPN, Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss multiple weeks with a calf injury. His absence creates a massive void on both ends of the floor, robbing the Spurs of their leading scorer, rebounder, and a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. San Antonio will also be without guard Harper, who is sidelined with a calf strain. Without Wembanyama to anchor the paint and stretch the floor, the offensive and defensive schemes for the Spurs will need a complete overhaul.

How Memphis Can Win

The path to victory for Memphis is directly tied to the status of Ja Morant. If he plays, the Grizzlies should be in a prime position to not only cover the spread but win outright. Morant’s ability to attack the rim will be even more effective without the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama protecting it. If Morant is ruled out, the offensive burden will fall squarely on Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. to exploit a now-vulnerable Spurs interior. Even without Morant, the Grizzlies have enough talent to challenge a Spurs team missing its franchise-altering centerpiece.

How San Antonio Can Win

For the Spurs to justify their status as favorites, they will need heroic efforts from the rest of their young core. Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson must become the primary and secondary scoring options, looking to be aggressive from the opening tip. Coach Gregg Popovich will have to draw up a defensive scheme that limits dribble penetration and forces the Grizzlies into contested jump shots, a much taller task without his elite rim protector. The Spurs must control the pace and rely on ball movement and execution to generate points, as easy baskets will be hard to come by.

Prediction

This point spread is baffling. A line of Spurs -6 suggests that the betting market either set the line before the Wembanyama news was processed or it firmly believes Ja Morant will not play, and that his absence is more damaging than Wembanyama’s.

The latter seems unlikely. Wembanyama’s impact is seismic on both offense and defense. His absence cripples the Spurs in a way that is difficult to overcome, regardless of who is playing for the opposition. Even if Morant sits, a Grizzlies team with Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. has more than enough firepower to compete with, and potentially beat, a Wembanyama-less Spurs squad.

The value is squarely on the underdog. Taking the Grizzlies and the points is the logical play, with a strong chance for an outright victory. With two key offensive players likely out (Wembanyama confirmed, Morant questionable), and the Spurs losing their best defender, the total is a tougher call. However, the loss of that much offensive firepower makes the under the more probable outcome.

Final Picks:

Categories: NBA, News
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