Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies 12/17/18: Starting Lineups, Matchup Breakdown, Odds, Daily Fantasy, Betting
Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies Preview
The number two and number six teams in the Western Conference meet tonight in a conference clash as the Golden State Warriors (20-10) host the Memphis Grizzlies (16-13). The teams have met once before this season and the Warriors dispatched of Memphis handily with a score of 117-101 on November 5. In that game, Klay Thompson was unstoppable for Memphis, as he scored 27 points. Memphis’ Dillon Brooks, who was the subject of trade talks last week which were broken up because of Brooks’ involvement by Memphis, scored 18 in the matchup.
Aside from their most recent matchup, the Warriors have won 13 of their last 17 against Memphis. If they want to buck that trend, they’ll have to put a stop to their two-game skid and defend well against the Warriors’ four-headed all-star attack.
TV Schedule
Date: 12/17/18
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Arena: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
Channel: NBA TV
Golden State Warriors Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | Stephen Curry |
| SG | Klay Thompson |
| SF | Kevin Durant |
| PF | Draymond Green |
| C | DeMarcus Cousins |
Warriors Analysis
The Warriors have lost seven of their last ten games and having all four all-stars back has been much-needed but not all is looking great for the Dubs. They needed a late-game rally to get past the Sacramento Kings 130-125, and they were badly blown out by a Toronto Raptors team sans Kawhi Leonard last Wednesday 113-93, showing some serious cracks in their defensive foundation.
Kevin Durant, in particular, looked uninterested at times on defense, allowing his man to beat him and relying on a rim protector to try to stop drives.
One positive for the Warriors is that they could be 1-2 weeks away from inserting a fifth all-star into their lineup. Ever since losing Damian Jones to a season-ending injury, the Warriors have used Kevon Looney as a stopgap, but word is that offseason acquisition DeMarcus Cousins has begun full practices and workouts, also spending time practicing with G-League affiliate Santa Cruz. The Warriors will not rush him back, considering a torn Achilles is not an injury you want to rush the recovery of, but Cousins could be a big difference-maker for the Warriors when he is back to full strength.
Warriors Quick Links: Warriors Starting Lineup, Warriors Roster, Warriors Depth Chart, Warriors Injuries, Warriors News, Warriors Schedule
Memphis Grizzlies Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | Mike Conley |
| SG | Avery Bradley |
| SF | Justin Holiday |
| PF | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
| C | Ivan Rabb |
Contents
Grizzlies Analysis
The Grizzlies have lost their last two to the Houston Rockets and Miami Heat, and they’ve had their problems with top Western Conference teams, so going on the road against the number two team isn’t usually the right recipe to stop a losing streak.
Beyond that, the Grizzlies are just not scoring enough points in a year where scoring is up in the league. In their last five, they are just averaging 95 points per game and they don’t have the defensive ppg rating to make up for the scoring issues. The last time they were able to get over the century mark was back on December 7 in a 107-103 win over the Pelicans.
The Grizzlies have only really been getting consistent scoring from two of their starters, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, Jr. They have had some help off the bench from JaMychal Green, and rookie Jevon Carter made his mark in his rookie debut against the Rockets with 11 points. Kelly Oubre would’ve been a nice addition, but Carter could be the pice to give them a lift.
Grizzlies Quick Links: Grizzlies Starting Lineup, Grizzlies Roster, Grizzlies Depth Chart, Grizzlies Injuries, Grizzlies News, Grizzlies Schedule
Warriors vs. Grizzlies Betting Odds
The Warriors are big favorites in this one, opening and currently live as -11 point favorites at home. The over/under is currently 211 points and the moneyline has remained unchanged at -800 for Golden State and +500 for Memphis.
The Grizzlies have very low win percentages as the away team (48-93) and as the underdog (53-111). The Warriors have a whopping win percentage of 84.8 percent at home and 81.2 percent as the favorite.
Odds & Line Movement Links: Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies, Vegas Odds (All NBA Games Today)
Bet on Matchup
If you’re in Pennsylvania, you can bet on this matchup. Sports betting is legal in PA. Our top rated online sportsbook bonus offers can be found in our articles: Fanduel Sportsbook promo code, DraftKings Sportsbook promo code & Pointsbet promo code.
DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Picks
On a team with several all-stars, you have a slew of choices as the stud pick for the Warriors, but I’m going with Kevin Durant for Golden State and Marc Gasol for Memphis. Durant has a $10,000 FanDuel salary and is projected for 46.29 fantasy points. Gasol (FD-$8,500) is projected for 39.07 points.
It’s strange to be talking about Klay Thompson as a value selection here, but with a FanDuel salary of $6,800 and projection of 30.27 points, that’s basically the epitome of what being a fantasy value is.
Kyle Anderson may not produce numbers that jump off any stat sheet, but he produces in several fantasy categories. If you’re looking for a boost in several areas, Anderson is a nice value add at a salary of $5,500. He is projected to finish the night with 23.65 points.
Find all of our Fanduel and Draftkings projections here: https://www.lineups.com/nba/nba-fantasy-basketball-projections.
