Philadelphia 76ers vs Memphis Grizzlies Prediction and Betting Tips | Nov. 20, 2024
The last time a 'trade Philadelphia 76ers icon Joel Embiid' conversation came up, Adam Sandler had a mouthful to say. 'Hustle', centered around a 76ers scout and phenom gave the world some food for thought about what Philadelphia would look like without their MVP star. Now, the last few days have seen trade chatter around one of the most dominant two-way centers in the NBA.
And it's not been without reason. Embiid has himself been in rough waters. The high point was the recently reported conversation between him and his teammate Tyrese Maxey where he called out the big for his tardiness in the wake of the team's struggles amid all the other drama. At 2-11, you don't associate the 76ers next to that kind of a run. However, that has been a sad state of affairs as the side has struggled to take the bottom place in the East.
With Paul George in the mix, the 76ers were supposed to be on a hot winning streak competing with the top four in the West. That will now be the plan if at all they manage to correct their chinks when they take on the injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies have seen better days. They are efficient in what they do right, and so far that's been their MO as they have chalked up enough wins to hang in the West's Top 10 with an 8-7 record. They come off a 122-110 loss to the Denver Nuggets in their NBA Cup skirmish. Despite the absence of Ja Morant, the Memphis unit led by Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. will fancy their chances against the smarting 76ers.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Memphis Grizzlies Preview predicted starting lineups, betting tips, odds, and prediction
The 76ers vs Grizzlies matchup tips off at 8 pm ET. Local coverage will be on NBCS-PH+ and FDSSE. The game can be streamed live on Fubo TV 9 (regional restrictions may apply) and on the NBA app with a subscription to the NBA League Pass.
Here are the odds as listed at the time of writing.
Note: Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Memphis Grizzlies preview
The Philadelphia 76ers are in the middle of a drama-filled season. From Joel Embiid's back-to-back game appearance comments to the reporter-shoving incident, to being called out in the locker room for "being late", there are more off-court storylines that have taken the spotlight as their season continues to be abysmal.
Add injuries to Embiid himself to miss the start of the season and Tyrese Maxey who continues to be on the mend with his hamstring issue, Philadelphia is in dire need of course correction as they languish at the bottom of the table. Health has hampered their offense seeing their field goal and 3-point percentage at 30th and 29th place respectively.
The Grizzlies have seen better days when compared to their opponents. They have six more wins compared to the Sixers. They have been hit by the injury bug as well with Ja Morant, and Marcus Smart going down to injuries. Zach Edey's ankle issue further compounds their woes. Their offense is a concern as the loss of some of their top guns has seen them sputter on that end of the floor. They are 10th with an offensive rating of 114.5. They are placed fifth in the league with a 114.2 defensive rating.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Memphis Grizzlies predicted starting lineups
The 7ers are likely to field the majority of the same unit from their last game, except for Kyle Lowry who is ruled out of the matchup with a hip strain. As for the other injuries, Tyrese Maxey (hamstring) is listed as questionable.
The Grizzlies missed the services of Ja Morant and Marcus Smart and with both stars considered week-to-week, the Grizzlies will make some tweaks to their starting five as well.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Memphis Grizzlies betting tips
Desmond Bane is one of the Grizzlies' names to watch out for as he comes in with an o/u of -115/-104 on points. Scotty Pippen Jr. is -133/-125 on points. Jaren Jackson Jr. is -110/-108 on points and rebounds.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Memphis Grizzlies prediction
The Philadelphia 76ers are yet to play quality ball. Injuries and inconsistency have robbed them of wins. Between that and a morale that's not exactly at an all-time high, they will have to fight their way back to contention. The Grizzlies have been on a midfield side so far and they still hold an edge over Philly on Wednesday. Chalk up a Memphis win.