We lost our pick yesterday but that's okay. We can comeback really hard today as I'm really liking this game. Check the details below and be sure to follow me.
Pick for January 31, 2019 (FRIDAY)
Game will start on 7:00 PM CST, NBA
Match: New Orleans Pelicans - Memphis Grizzlies
WIN!!! - PICK: TAKE the PELICANS -6.5 points for 1.35 UNITS (1.75 ODDS).
Timing is everything. And I think that we're catching two teams at just the right time. On one side we have Memphis. They have low-key been one of the best bets in the NBA over the last two months, going 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games. They had a seven-game winning streak earlier this month and they are an outstanding 11-2 straight up in their last 13 games. It's generally hard to bet against a team that's on a run like that. However, I think that the Grizzlies have been playing above their heads. And I think that they may have peaked in their last game, blowing out the hapless Knicks 127-106. The Grizzlies also blew a gasket at the end of that game, getting into a fight with New York. I think that whole situation - a trip to NYC, a blowout win, and a brawl - lends itself to a letdown situation here. I think Memphis is due to come back to earth and it could start here.
On the other side we have New Orleans. And this is a team that I think could be on an upswing. Like Memphis, they have been amazing ATS over the last two months, going 16-4 in their last 20 games. They are also a solid 13-7 straight up in those games and now that Zion Williamson has injected some life and excitement (and production) into their lineup this is a team to watch over the final two months of the regular season. The Pelicans are 8-5 SU in their last 13 games. And if you kick out a blowout loss at Boston - which they avenged with a 15-point blowout win on Sunday - just about all of their losses over the past month have come in excessively close games against good teams like Utah and the Clippers.
Memphis only has two losses in their last 13 games. One of them was by 10 points, at home, against this same New Orleans team. I think it is going to be even worse on the road in this game. Beyond that, Memphis going to be playing this one without leading scorer Jaren Jackson (suspension). That's a problem considering how good New Orleans is on the interior and just how much size they are bringing into this game.
The Pelicans beat the Grizzlies on the road, without Zion Williamson, and against Jaren Jackson, just two weeks ago. Now they have Zion, Memphis doesn't have Jackson, and the Pelicans can feed off their home crowd. On top of that, 60% of the betting action in this game is coming down on Memphis but the line has actually jumped up from an open of 4.5 to its current 5.5. That's a classic reverse line movement and I'll play on the sharp side of this one. All this appears to be lining itself up for another win for the home team and I'll roll with the hot Pelicans in this one.
Best of luck and Grind On everyone.