NBA Game 2: Can the Lakers Rebound from a Rough Game 2?

No Ja Morant, no problem. That’s the way the Memphis Grizzlies felt on Wednesday night, as they evened their best-of-seven series with the Los Angeles Lakers at one game apiece with a 103-93 victory. The Grizzlies went back to their roots, and used their overwhelming defense to stymie the Lakers offense.

While LeBron James had a typical James night with 28 points, the other Lakers scorers didn’t play well in Game 2. Most notably absent from the leading scorers was Anthony Davis. Known as one of the best players in the league, Davis was only able to muster 13 points on 4-14 shooting.

Keep reading for NBA betting lines, analysis, and a free pick for Lakers vs. Grizzlies.

NBA Game 2 Betting Prediction: Can the Lakers Rebound from a Rough Game 2?

Why Bet on Memphis versus Lakers?

Xavier Tillman was the big star for the Grizzlies in Game 2. A reserve for much of the season, Tillman was inserted into the starting lineup when Steven Adams was injured. Tillman scored 22 points to lead the Grizzlies in scoring.

He was joined in double figures by Jaren Jackson Jr. with 18, Desmond Bane with 17, Luke Kennard with 13, Dillon Brooks with 12, and Tyus Jones with 10. If the Grizzlies can have balanced scoring like this in Game 3, they’ll be hard to stop.

While the offense was good, it was the defense that won Game 2 for the Memphis Grizzlies. Their relentless pressure led to poor shots by the Lakers. After putting up 128 points in Game 1, the Lakers could only score 93 in the Game 2 loss. The Lakers were only 7-26 from beyond the arc, and much of that was due to the Grizzlies contesting many of their three-point shots.

Memphis Grizzlies Offensive Averages

Points/G: 116.7
FG %: 53.9
3PT %: 34.3
FT %: 73.5
Rebounds/G: 55.4

Memphis Grizzlies Defensive Averages

Points/G: 112.9
FG %: 52.6
3PT %: 36.4
FT %: 78.7
Rebounds/G: 53.3

Why Bet on Lakers versus Memphis?

After a poor Game 2, the Lakers will look to rebound in Game 3. Besides James, it was another good night for Rui Hachimura, who put up 20 points off the bench. The Lakers will need to shoot better from beyond the arc, and will need more scoring from their other starters.

The Los Angeles Lakers will also need to play better interior defense. Tillman and Jackson Jr. dominated the Lakers inside, and that will need to be dealt with in Game 3. We’ll see if Darvin Ham can make the necessary adjustments to help stop the Memphis bigs.

Los Angeles Lakers Offensive Averages

Points/G: 116.9
FG %: 54.1
3PT %: 31.2
FT %: 77.7
Rebounds/G: 54.2

Los Angeles Lakers Defensive Averages

Points/G: 116.2
FG %: 53.5
3PT %: 36.5
FT %: 77.6
Rebounds/G: 52.3

Los Angeles at Memphis Betting Trends

Los Angeles has won 20, or 64.5%, of the 31 contests in which it was the favorite this year
Memphis has gone 3-16 in games it was the underdog on the moneyline (winning 15.8% of those games)
The 117.2 points per game the Lakers put up are only 4.2 more points than the Grizzlies give up (113.0)
Los Angeles is 32-17-1 against the spread and 34-16 overall when scoring more than 113.0 points
Memphis is 31-21-3 against the spread and 41-14 overall when allowing fewer than 117.2 points
So far this season, Los Angeles has scored more than 113 points in 53 games
Memphis’ average implied point total on the year (118.6 points) is 10.6 points higher than its implied total in this matchup (108 points)
Based on this game’s moneyline, Memphis’ implied win probability is 35.8%

Starting Lineups

Los Angeles Lakers
Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, D’Angelo Russell, LeBron James, Anthony Davis

Memphis Grizzlies
Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Tyus Jones, Jaren Jackson Jr., Xavier Tillman

Injuries

Los Angeles Lakers
None

Memphis Grizzlies
Jake LaRavia (Calf – Game Time Decision), Ja Morant (Hand – Game Time Decision), Steven Adams (Knee – out)

Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies Betting Odds and Prediction

For Saturday night’s Game 3 in Los Angeles, the Lakers have been made 5.5-point favorites. We’re still not sure whether or not Ja Morant will play. If he does play, we assume that the spread in this one will probably go down to 3.5-4.5 points.

We expect Anthony Davis to rebound from his poor Game 2 and play well in Game 3. LeBron James always plays well in the playoffs, but the Lakers will need more from Davis, DeAngelo Russell, and Austin Reaves if they want to take a 2-1 lead in this series.

While we look for the Lakers to win, we don’t expect them to cover the spread. We like them to win whether or not Morant suits up and plays for the Grizzlies.

NBA Playoffs Round 1 Prediction: Lakers to win / Won’t cover the spread | Bet Lakers @ Memphis Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game