The Memphis Grizzlies had an underwhelming campaign in 2022-23, following up a 56-win season by going 51-31 before being ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers.
It was also a year filled with distractions, as star guard Ja Morant found himself in off-the-court troubles that resulted in an eight-game suspension in early March. Unfortunately for Morant, the problems didn’t stop there, and he’ll be forced to miss the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season, as well.
Memphis does have some new faces this year to complement its already star-studded core, and with that extra help, the Grizzlies should be able to weather the storm until Morant returns. In the meantime, though, we can take advantage of some great Grizzlies prop bets.
Grizzlies Odds 2023
See the latest Grizzlies prop bets with our interactive widget below.
Grizzlies Prop Bets 2023
NBA lines are current as of Friday, Aug. 11, at 10 a.m. ET. To see updated Grizzlies odds and lines, use the widget above.
Grizzlies: Over 45.5 Wins (-140)
Caesars Sportsbook • WAGER: 2 Units
I could see why some people would consider backing the Under here. Morant missing the first 25 games of the season will almost certainly put a dent in the Grizzlies’ regular-season performance, and without Tyus Jones, Memphis is putting a lot of faith in Marcus Smart to be a seamless fit.
I’ll side with the front office on this one, though, as Smart and the Grizzlies are a match made in heaven. His scrappy, chip-on-your-shoulder style of play is a perfect complement to guys like Jaren Jackson Jr. and a callback to the Grit and Grind era of Memphis basketball.
Smart does enough on offense to get the job done in Morant’s absence, but the defensive end is where he shines. I expect the Grizzlies to immediately stand out as one of the league’s best defenses in the early part of the season and ride those efforts to at least 46 wins, making this my NBA bet of the day.
Jaren Jackson Jr.: Defensive Player of the Year (+600)
Caesars Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Jackson had a phenomenal 2022-23 campaign, averaging a career-high 3 blocks per game en route to earning his first Defensive Player of the Year award at just 23 years old.
According to the NBA DPOY odds, Jackson is the favorite to repeat in 2023-24, which I find to be perfectly reasonable. It’s not always a great decision to bet the favorites this early in the year, but Defensive Player of the Year is one of the few awards that regularly sees repeat winners.
Smart’s presence could make Jackson’s life even easier this season, as the former Boston Celtics guard can cover for him on the perimeter and allow Jackson to focus on what he does best, which is defending the paint.
Grizzlies: Miss the Playoffs (+215)
Caesars Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 Units
Let’s play the pessimist here for a moment. There’s always one team that, despite looking like a pre-season lock to make the playoffs, misses out in some spectacular fashion.
It was the Mavericks last year, who won just 38 games and flamed out down the stretch after acquiring Kyrie Irving — all despite the fact that Dallas made a trip to the Western Conference Finals the year prior.
We don’t know how this team will look once Morant returns. There’s no guarantee that the Grizzlies return to the same level they played at last season, let alone in 2021-22.
There are far too many variables at play here to say with absolute certainty that Memphis will make the playoffs in 2023-24. At (+215) odds, I’m comfortable enough with the risk to place a smaller wager here.
Grizzlies Betting in Tennessee
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How to Bet on Grizzlies Games 2023
How to Bet Grizzlies Moneylines
Betting on NBA moneylines is about as simple as it gets. All you need to do to win this type of bet is correctly choose the winner of the game. Should your team come out on top, you’ll win your bet.
Of course, it isn’t quite that simple. A team’s moneyline odds will fluctuate depending upon their matchup, and even if a team is expected to win the game, it may not be in your best interest to bet on them to do so.
For example, the Grizzlies would likely be a heavy favorite against the Spurs. At a sportsbook, the Grizzlies would likely have (-400) odds to win the game. In this case, you would need to bet $40 to win just $10, and there isn’t much value in doing that.
This doesn’t mean you should always bet on the side of the underdog, but it may be more worthwhile to bet on games that are more of a toss-up.
- 2022-23 Grizzlies Moneyline Record: 51-31
How to Bet Grizzlies Spreads
Spread betting takes winners and losers out of the equation and instead focuses on a preset margin of victory or defeat. Before a game begins, oddsmakers will set a margin of how many points they believe the favorite will win by. At a sportsbook, this might look like this: Grizzlies -5.5 (-110) vs Mavericks +5.5 (-110).
In this case, the spread is 5.5 points. Because the Grizzlies are favored, they would need to win the game by more than 5.5 points to cover the spread. Alternatively, the Mavericks could win outright or lose by less than five points, and they would cover the spread.
Generally speaking, teams that exceed expectations over the course of the season are better against the spread.
- 2022-23 Grizzlies Against the Spread Record: 37-43-2
How to Bet Grizzlies Over/Unders
Have an angle on whether you believe a game will be especially high- or low-scoring? That’s where Over/Unders come in, which allow you to bet the Over or Under on a game’s projected combined scoring total.
Let’s say that Memphis is facing off with Dallas. The projected scoring total in this game might be somewhere around 231.5 points. If you take the Over, you’re saying that there will be 232-plus points scored. If you roll with the Under, you’re saying that 231 points or fewer will be scored.
Injuries and other factors can play an especially large role in Over/Under betting, so it’s always good to stay on top of the latest injury reports and news regarding each team in a given matchup.
- 2022-23 Grizzlies Over/Under Record: 37-43-2
