Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Lakers 2/12/21: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers Matchup Preview

The Lakers just keep on winning as they are now up to six wins in a row and have won eight of their last ten games. LeBron James keeps pounding the MVP drum, especially with the absence of Anthony Davis. There are only two 20 win teams currently, the Lakers and the Jazz. As for Memphis, they started slowly and have been dealing with injuries but they are starting to surge. They are now just a half-game back of the eighth seed. Memphis is a team with some fight and the absence of Davis could be felt in this one if he continues to sit out. Davis has missed the last few games dealing with soreness in his calf and Achilles. Memphis continues to be without Jaren Jackson, who is getting closer to return. We also will check on Brandon Clarke who has been day-to-day with a calf injury. For odds movement and full matchup history, visit the Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers Matchup Page.

TV Schedule

Date: 2/12/21
Time: 10:00 PM ET
Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles CA
Channel: ESPN

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Grizzlies Starting 5

PG: Ja Morant 
SG: Dillon Brooks
SF: Kyle Anderson
PF: Xavier Tillman
C: Jonas Valanciunas

Grizzlies Analysis

It has been a hectic year for Memphis as they have dealt with covid issues and injuries. Like some of the struggling teams from earlier in the season, they are turning it around. Ja Morant is back and ready to roll, averaging 18 points and seven assists per game this season. Jonas Valanciunas has been very good, averaging 15 and 11 with a 21.4 PER on the year. The Grizzlies are a balanced scoring team, as they have seven players currently averaging over ten points per game. Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson, and Brandon Clarke have been playing impressive basketball and given this team a lift of late. What is being overlooked is the strong team defense they have played, as they rank 10th in defensive rating and points per game allowed. You can point towards the depth in the frontcourt with Valanciunas and Gorgui Dieng being two stronger defenders but even Brandon Clarke has raised his game. This will be a tricky game for the Lakers.

Lakers Starting 5

PG: LeBron James
SG: Dennis Schroder
SF: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
PF: Kyle Kuzma
C: Marc Gasol

Lakers Analysis

The Lakers have had some close calls of late and the absence of Anthony Davis can be felt. However, LeBron James has been a man on a mission, averaging 25-7-7 this season. He is also averaging 2.7 threes per game, which is a career-high. While James has been amazing I don’t know if last year’s team could win these games without Davis. Montrezl Harrell has been a huge piece of this team so far this season, averaging 13 and 6, pushing 25 minutes per game. Both him and Kylze Kuzma have filled in nicely, as Kuzma averages 10 and 5 this season, but you could say the shot has been a bit off at times. When the Lakers signed Dennis Schroder in the offseason, they knew they were getting a scoring threat. He is averaging 14.6 points per game and fits in nicely as a third option. Talen Horton-Tucker has been picking up his play of late and earning himself more minutes. He is shooting 46% from the field this season and the 20-year-old has been catching the eye of the NBA public of late, as some were early fans from the draft.

Grizzlies & Lakers DFS Angle

On the Memphis side, they have a 106 total tonight which is lower than most of the teams on the slate. Ja Morant continues to be the one to get our attention, as he projects for 37 fantasy points tonight. Dennis Schroder and Dillon Brooks are two mid-range options in a good spot tonight. Schroder draws the better matchup in this spot but Brooks has seen a higher usage and has averaged 28 over his last five games. LeBron James continues to be a strong play regardless of Davis being in or out tonight but of course, he would be a better play if Davis sits. As mentioned above, Jonas Valanciunas has been playing incredibly well and is averaging over 40 in his last five games. With Davis questionable or at least limited, this is a decent spot for Jonas against Harrell/Kuzma/Gasol as the only true bigs.

Grizzlies vs. Lakers Betting Odds

Grizzlies Spread: +7
Grizzlies Moneyline: +240
Lakers Spread: -7
Lakers Moneyline: -290
Over/Under Points Total: 220

Without Anthony Davis, these last few games have been a bit closer. The Thunder who didn’t have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in one of the games drove the Lakers down to final possessions in both games. Memphis has a better team than OKC and we see the spread adjusted a bit as the Lakers were closer to -9 and -10 against the Thunder. Memphis has covered six of nine games on the road this season and five of the last ten games against Los Angeles. The under is also 10-0 in the last ten games between these two teams.