Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview (4/24/23): Prediction, Starting Lineups, Odds

After splitting with the Memphis Grizzlies on the road, the Los Angeles Lakers took a 2-1 series lead behind an incredible 35-9 first-quarter scoring differential. Can the Grizzlies even up the series and take back their home-court advantage, or will Los Angeles get one step closer to sealing the deal in Game 4?

Check out our game predictions, betting picks, and best bets for Game 4 between the Grizzlies and Lakers. Further, we have listed the projected starting lineups, current betting odds, and game details below.

Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Los Angeles Lakers Betting Odds

Heading into a pivotal Game 4, the Memphis Grizzlies are 5.5-point road dogs against Los Angeles in Crypto.com Arena. The Grizzlies were able to return Ja Morant for Game 3, and it seems his health is improving by the day; however, they will still be without Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has a clean bill of health once again.

Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Los Angeles Lakers Prediction

Even a 45-point explosion from Ja Morant, including scoring 22 consecutive points for the Grizzlies late in the game, was still insufficient to climb back from a historically poor first quarter. Memphis finished with just nine points in the first before outscoring Los Angeles by double-digits for the remainder of Game 3. Is this a positive or negative for the Grizzlies, and how will that performance affect their Game 4?

Morant posted an incredible 45/13/9 line after a slow start to Game 3, proving that no Lakers player can hold him when he’s in the zone. This could be a huge confidence boost for a Grizzlies team that was able to walk away with somewhat of a moral victory, having beaten LA by 16 points in the final three quarters of their most recent outing.

Further, Memphis has not gotten great shooting/play from Desmond Bane (38/30/100), Dillon Brooks (33/25/60), and Tyus Jones (32/8/67.) There is a significant opportunity for positive regression with this Grizzlies squad.

It is a must-win game for Memphis, which might be a lot of pressure to take on, but it still has not had a decent shooting night in the postseason (42/33/86 shooting split through three games.) Additionally, had the Grizzlies not come out flat in Game 3, they could have beaten Los Angeles, despite their substantial offensive struggles.

The emphasis for Grizzlies in this game will be on getting more paint points/touches and protecting the ball. Memphis should put it all together here and at least keep the game close, if not win outright.

Betting Trends

• Los Angeles is 2-1 ATS in the 2023 playoffs
• Memphis is 2-13 ATS as a road underdog in the 2022-23 season
• Memphis is 1-2 ATS in the 2023 playoffs

Key Matchups

Several key matchups exist for this bout between Los Angeles and Memphis; however, the battle between Xavier Tillman and Anthony Davis will be the highlighted matchup for Game 4. Can Tillman hold AD to a modest outing, as he did in Game 2, or will Davis explode for 30+ points and 15+ rebounds like in Game 3?

Xavier Tillman vs. Anthony Davis

With Steven Adams’ unfortunate knee injury that has held him out for more than 12 weeks, Xavier Tillman has been called upon by the Grizzlies to step up and provide quality minutes at the center position, despite being significantly undersized (6-foot-7) for the position, especially when going up against a player like Anthony Davis.

So far, Tillman won the Game 2 matchup (22 points, 13 rebounds) but lost the Game 1 (two points, three rebounds) and Game 3 (six points, 12 rebounds) matchups by a significant margin. Can he harness some of that Game 2 magic, put together another colossal double-double performance, and help the Grizzlies even the series?

It does not seem likely. Even if Tillman can hold Davis to a modest scoring output, he still averages five blocks and over 12 rebounds per game in this series. Further, Davis’ significant reach and height advantage has already proven to be an issue, as he is averaging roughly five offensive rebounds, too.

This is one of the most significant mismatches of any series in the NBA playoffs, and Game 2 looks like much more of an outlier than something we could expect even semi-regularly. Advantage: AD.

Memphis Grizzlies Starting Lineup

PG: Ja Morant
SG: Desmond Bane
SF: Dillon Brooks
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr
C: Xavier Tillman Sr

Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineups

PG: D’Angelo Russell
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Jarred Vanderbilt
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis

Key Injuries

Memphis Grizzlies Injuries: Brandon Clarke (Out), Steven Adams (Out), Jake LaRavia (Out)

Los Angeles Lakers Injuries: None