The San Antonio Spurs have rested various players over the past several weeks in order to be properly rested for the playoff run. Now that it’s here, they hope to peak at the right time.
The No. 2 seed Spurs will host the No. 7 seed Memphis Grizzlies in the first game of their Western Conference playoff series opener. San Antonio is one of the three main favorites for the NBA title, and shouldn’t have much trouble getting past Memphis to set up possible showdowns with the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors in ensuing series.
While the Grizzlies play tough defense, they are not as talented as San Antonio and will have a tough time being competitive in this series. The Spurs should be sizable favorites in the first game between their talent advantage and the home court.
This war on the floor will go down Saturday, April 15, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Saturday schedule.
NBA Odds
San Antonio is a 9.5-point favorite in this matchup and -555 on the moneyline, so the odds are high the Spurs will come away with the win. The Grizzlies are +419 on the moneyline. The scoring total is 190.5 points.
The Spurs went 61-21 straight up during the regular season and finished 41-40-1 against the spread. They went 19-22 against the spread at home on the season as they were often sizable favorites and even wins didn’t translate to covers. San Antonio was 36-38-1 against the spread as the favorite and will once again be giving points in this one.
The Grizzlies finished the year 43-39 straight up and 41-41 against the spread. Memphis covered in 20 of 41 attempts on the road. The Grizzlies were 21-18 against the spread as the underdog on the season.
Player to Watch
Mike Conley -- The Grizzlies don’t score a lot of points normally, and it will be even tougher against such a stingy Spurs defense. If they are to have any chance in this game and in the series, they will need big-time performances from their star point guard.
Conley averaged a team-high 20.6 points per game during the regular season, shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from three-point range. He also added 6.3 assists per game and is the go-to player on offense each possession, either setting up for others or scoring buckets himself.
The Grizzlies have other proven veterans like Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph who can score, but Conley will be expected to do the most.
Season Series
Memphis held up well in the four games between the teams in the regular season. The Grizzlies won the first two, holding the Spurs to an average of only 85 points per game while winning by an average of 11.5 points per game.
San Antonio got its revenge later in the year, winning 97-90 on March 23 and 95-89 in overtime last time out. Kawhi Leonard had a game-high 32 points in the most recent contest, and he must be contained by the Grizzlies if they want to have a shot.
The Grizzlies play the type of game which can keep it close in these games, but it’s going to be really hard to win the series. However, covering the spread a couple times or more is definitely possible.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Spurs don’t try to dominate the regular season, and yet still came away with 61 wins to set themselves up nicely for a deep playoff run. Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and the rest of the group should be well-rested for this one.
Don’t pay any attention to San Antonio’s three-game losing streak to end the season, as the games didn’t matter. The Spurs are ready to hit full throttle now and should be able to come away with a decisive victory in the first game against the Grizzlies to set the tone.
The scoring total is going to be lower in this one than all the other playoff series, so keep that in mind when considering whether to choose the “over” or the “under.”
NBA Odds: Spurs 98, Grizzlies 87
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