Memphis Grizzlies vs Washington Wizards Prediction: Capital club to show their best

The Grizzlies have beaten the Wizards four home games in a row, and they are once again considered the favorites for their upcoming matchup with Washington. Will Memphis be able to beat the Metropolitan club this time too?

The Grizzlies have six wins in their nine regular-season games and currently sit fourth in the Western Conference. The team suffered two losses to Utah as Desmond Bane and Ja Morant departed, both of whom are now Memphis' offensive leaders. Bane, by the way, is averaging 4.1 three-pointers per game, which is 2nd best in the NBA – only Steph Curry boasts a higher one. While battling for the West's top 6, the Grizzlies also manage to develop their youth. Newcomers Jake LaRavia and David Roddy are getting more playing time, and Santi Aldama has been one of the major discoveries of Memphis this season. Stephen Adams leads the NBA in offensive rebounding, and Aldama has been a big help as well.

We see an opportunity to make better use of Adams's and Aldama's attributes: Memphis is 2nd in the league in rebounding margin and 13th in second chance points, so the Grizzlies could be more efficient on extra possessions. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ziaire Williams aren't expected to be back in action anytime soon, so we have to look for those internal reserves.

Taylor Jenkins's team blew out Charlotte 130-99 in their last regular-season game. Memphis picked up the pace quickly, taking a 24-point lead heading into halftime. Defense at the arc finally paid off and the Grizzlies didn't miss much in the paint. Stephen Adams grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and nearly single-handedly won the rebounding battle in the backfield. Dillon Brooks made 6 3-pointers and 23 points, making him the most productive player on the team. 8 Memphis players scored 10+ points.

After a good start to the season, the Wizards slowed down, dropping 4 losses in their last 5 games. Now the Washington club sits only 9th in the Eastern Conference, although the result may not be too bad considering their expectations before the start of the season. One of Washington's greatest assets can be considered defense in the paint. Only Indiana has fewer turnovers in that zone. Kristaps Porzingis continues to improve offensively, averaging 20.2 points and over 50% from the field. Bradley Beal is far from being a superstar, but his overall efficiency is encouraging. Beal's statistics may have been impacted by the Wizards' slow pace of play: the team ranks only 23rd in the NBA in three-point field-goal shooting.

The day before, Wes Anseld Jr.'s team lost on the road to Brooklyn, 86-128. Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma did well from beyond the arc, but the rest of the team struggled. With a 23.5 percent three-point percentage, it's hard to count on success, especially when defense falters. The Wizards missed too much in the paint, so even the team's strengths didn't work. The bench also completely botched the game, scoring a combined 21 points, although Corey Kispert, Will Barton, Deni Avdija and Rui Hachimura all played plenty of minutes.

Washington failed on offense against Brooklyn, but the team looked much more confident against Philadelphia and deservedly scored over 120 points. Defending in the paint against Memphis will not be easy as the Grizzlies have Ja Morant, who is one of the best under the basket. The Grizzlies' lineup is relatively optimal and Dillon Brooks is in good shape, so there should be no problem on offense. Our prediction for the Memphis vs Washington game is as follows:

• TO (227.5) for 2.05;
• H2 (+7.5) for 2.452;
• W2 (incl. OT) for 5.00.

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