1/31 COMPLIMENTARY NBA:
New York @ Memphis 8:05 PM EST
New York +3 over Memphis (3.5 Units)
For awhile there, the Memphis Grizzlies had us actually believing that they were ready to turn the corner into a winning team... however, their initial hot start under Hubie Brown has quickly fizzled into another disaster, as the Grizzlies have forgotten how to play defense, and have won just twice in their last eleven games, with both of those victories taking place on the road... at home, Memphis has now lost four straight contests, and have allowed nearly 102 ppg in their last six home contests, as well as 101.1 ppg in their last fourteen games overall... with their highest offensive output in their last seven games being 98 points, this propensity to allow triple-digit scoring will be very problematic against the Knicks tonight...
Sadly for the Grizzlies, scoring has been difficult against the Knicks, as Memphis has averaged just 84 ppg in their last ten games against New York, with their highest output being just 92 points... with Memphis allowing at LEAST 93 points in each of their last eleven contests, and with the Knicks playing perhaps their best ball of the season (going 6-1 ATS in their last seven games, with their only non-cover coming against the Dallas Mavericks), this is the wrong time for the Grizz to be favored...
The Knicks have been terrific at taking care of business against the lesser teams in the NBA this season, going 11-5 ATS on the year against losing teams, and a whopping 5-1 ATS on the road against teams below .500... Memphis has won just twice against the Knicks in their last ten matchups, with one of those wins coming by just two points, and the other coming on an evening where New York scored just 68 points, a performance that will be impossible to duplicate given the current state of the Grizzlies defense...
The Knicks are a superb 14-5-1 ATS in their last twenty games as an underdog, and a whopping 12-3-1 ATS as a dog of less than six points... with New York playing their best ball of the season and the Grizzlies reverting back to their old losing selves, take the Knicks to hand the Grizzlies their fifth consecutive home loss...
FINAL PREDICTION: NEW YORK 97, MEMPHIS 91
OTHER FREE PLAYS (no analysis):
San Antonio @ Orlando 8:05 PM EST
San Antonio -2 over Orlando (1 Unit)
San Antonio/Orlando Over 196 (2 Units)
Golden State @ Utah 9:05 PM EST
Golden State +7 over Utah (1.5 Units)
Thanks for looking, and good luck!