Sat 21 Mar, 23:00
Charlotte Hornets enter this matchup as heavy favorites against a decimated Memphis Grizzlies squad. The Hornets are in excellent form with 4 straight wins and have a significant advantage in team health. Memphis is without 9 key players including Ja Morant, making them practically unrecognizable. Charlotte is averaging 115.2 points in recent games while allowing just 107.7, showing excellent balance between offense and defense. Memphis is in catastrophic form with just 1 win in their last 6 games and averaging a -3.8 point margin. A key factor is Memphis playing on back-to-back nights which further diminishes their chances. However, the -16.5 spread is too large even for such a depleted team. NBA games rarely end with huge margins, especially when the underdog is aware of the situation. I expect Charlotte to win but Memphis to cover the spread thanks to motivation and the fact that young players will have opportunities to prove themselves.
Memphis is missing too many players to have a realistic chance against a healthy Charlotte team in good form
Estimated total of 226 points is significantly below the 235 line. Memphis without key players won't be able to keep pace offensively
16.5 points is too large a spread in the NBA. Memphis will fight to avoid a blowout loss, young players will have motivation