NBA Best Bets For Tuesday, April 15: Grizzlies vs. Warriors Headlines Play-In Tournament
The NBA Play-In Tournament begins tonight with matchups between the seventh and eighth seeds in both conferences. The Hawks travel to face the Magic at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT, while the Grizzlies take on the Warriors at 10 p.m. ET.
Keep reading for NBA best bets below, and bet with your favorite sportsbook apps.
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NBA Best Bets For Tuesday, April 15
Check out three bets below for Tuesday’s NBA games.
Stephen Curry 30+ Points (+116 FanDuel)
Memphis ranks 19th in defensive rating since the trade deadline and noticeably has struggled to defend the arc. They lack quality perimeter options outside of Scotty Pippen Jr., and his playing time is inherently limited because of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. Dumping Marcus Smart’s contract at the deadline may come back to haunt them.
As a result, the Grizzlies have surrendered the second-most wide open triples, the fourth-most shots from above the break, and the fifth-most shots off of screens. That doesn’t bode well against the greatest shooter in NBA history. Stephen Curry should feast against Memphis’ mediocre perimeter defense. They simply don’t possess enough off-ball chasers or lengthy guards to throw at Curry.
Meanwhile, Zach Edey loves to sit back on screens and play drop coverage. The Grizzlies subsequently protect the paint at a high level, but the rookie’s inability to aggressively step up on high ball screens will lead to an abundance of pull-up triples for Curry.
The Grizzlies love to push the pace, which inflates the box score for involved parties. Jimmy Butler also picked up a leg injury in Golden State’s crushing loss to the Clippers. If he is not at full strength, then Curry may receive more offensive responsibility.
In their recent matchup on April 1, Curry torched Memphis for 52 points and knocked down 12 triples. It’s unlikely the four-time champion replicates that level of success tonight, but I expect a strong showing and suggest playing this line at one and a half units.
Zach Edey 12+ Rebounds (+110 DraftKings)
Taylor Jenkins’ dismissal unlocked Edey’s box score contributions. In eight games since the decision, Edey has averaged 9.3 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks with a 64.6 field goal percentage. He’s also jumped from around 20 to 30 minutes per game.
The 7’4” rookie meets a Warriors squad that loves to utilize small-ball lineups. It works because Draymond Green is an elite, versatile defender, but the former Defensive Player of the Year stands nearly a foot shorter than Edey. He can only do so much to stop Edey from dominating the glass, especially since Green doesn’t have the strength advantage here.
Look for Edey to control the glass and vacuum every rebound in the vicinity. He has recorded 12+ rebounds in five of eight games since the Grizzlies fired Jenkins. I would play the line at one unit.
Dyson Daniels Under 0.5 Made Threes (+154 DraftKings)
Orlando’s suffocating defense protects the arc extremely well. They give up the fewest 3-point attempts and the fewest wide open 3-point attempts.
Dyson Daniels is shooting a career-high 34% from deep this season on 3.1 attempts per game, which translates to 1.1 made triples per game. He’s a shaky shooter even when left wide open.
In three matchups versus Orlando this season, Daniels is a combined 0-for-5 from distance. Part of that is merely shooting luck, but the Magic also do a great job of shutting down the arc and contesting most shots.
I would play this line at half of a unit.
