The Grizzlies And Sixers Are A Combined 23-6 In January

Someone correctly bet the score of both Championship games for a +2895000 payout 🤑…are you kidding me? Let’s talk Ja vs. Embiid 👇

Grizzlies @ Sixers Preview

Arguably the two hottest teams in the NBA will face off tonight in Philadelphia 🍿. The Grizzlies come in riding a 3-game win streak, while the Sixers have won four straight themselves. Both teams are in third place in their respective conferences, making tonight an important game as January winds down. Take a look at how the lines are shaping up 👇

Grizzlies @ Sixers Betting Preview

• Spread: Sixers -3.5

• Moneyline: Grizzlies +135 (bet $100, win $135), Sixers -155 (bet $155, win $100)

• Over/Under: 219

The Grizzlies and Sixers matched up back in December, with Memphis coming out on top, 126-91. However, both teams were missing their superstar, as Ja Morant and Joel Embiid logged DNPs

That game feels irrelevant a few weeks later, as Ja and Embiid are currently playing their best basketball of the season. With the two stars boasting such different styles of play, I’m excited to see them go at it tonight 🙏

Age Is Just A Number

When your team is young, critics often pick more experienced teams in big games. But, despite having the fifth hardest schedule, the Grizzlies have the third-best record in the league at 35-17. Oh, and did I mention they have one of the youngest organizations 👇

• Second-youngest head coach (Taylor Jenkins, 37)  

• Youngest general manager (Zach Kleiman, 34)

• Second-youngest roster (24.2 average age)

22-year-old Ja Morant is obviously the engine behind Memphis — he’s scored 30+ points in six straight games, the longest streak in Grizzlies history, and just earned his first All-Star game nod as a starter for Team LeBron. Not to mention, he’s receiving serious MVP betting traction with the fifth-best odds at +1200

Ja has carried this Grizzlies offense all season, but it’s been Memphis’ defense that’s propelled them to third place in the West

• Averaging 10.1 SPG (1st in NBA)

• Averaging 6.5 BPG (1st in NBA)

• On pace to become the third team since 1982-83 to lead the league in both of those defensive categories

Jaren Jackson Jr. is a huge factor in a lot of these stats — he’s recorded 52 blocks in January, which is TWENTY more than the next player. They say defense wins championships, and with Memphis going 12-3 this month, it’s hard not to ride with this young core against the Sixers 🐻

Trivia question: Ja played college ball at Murray State, can you name the only other active NBA player who also played there? (answer below)

Trust The Process

After being a 50-1 longshot to win MVP just a few weeks ago, Joel Embiid is now the favorite at +220. It seems as if Embiid flipped a switch once he returned from health & safety protocols back in November

Since Returning on 11/27/21:

• 30-pt games: 14

• 40-pt games: 5

• 50-pt games: 1

Like the Grizzlies, the Sixers have also had a phenomenal January, going 11-3. Embiid is averaging 34.0 PPG this month, just 24 points away from joining Wilt Chamberlain (5x), Allen Iverson (4x) and Hal Greer (1x) as the only Sixers players to score 500+ points in a calendar month

• However, he’ll be facing a gritty Memphis team who ranks eighth in defensive rating this season at 108.3. If anyone can slow down Embiid, it’s the Grizzlies 🚧

For My Parlay Gurus

With a clash between two Top-10 scorers in the NBA, Morant and Embiid are sure to bring an exciting showdown tonight. I’m taking the Grizzlies on the road vs. the spread in this matchup, and Ja to cover his prop line of 26.5 pts — he hasn’t scored less than 26 points since mid-January 👀

• Grizzlies +3.5 vs. the Sixers: -115

• Ja Morant over 26.5 points vs. the Sixers: -115

$100 on this bet would win you $250 — if we hit make sure you email [email protected] for $100*. First come, first serve 😉

Trivia answer: Cameron Payne, now a key part of the Suns bench, also played at Murray State and was drafted 14th overall by the Thunder in 2015