Jonas Valanciunas wasn't at all interested in shooting the ball Wednesday night, which led to a disappointing loss in our Look of the Day. We're aiming for a bounce-back winner with our favorite bet for Thursday's NBA slate.
We're going to continue fading the Grizzlies without their two best scorers in Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. In two games with both guards out of the lineup, Memphis is shooting 39.3 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from three. The Grizzlies scored only 94 points against the New York Knicks, and they reached 116 points against the Warriors because they attempted 54 three-pointers and 40 free throws in the game.
That's simply not sustainable, especially against a shut-down Timberwolves defense. Minnesota ranks No. 1 in the NBA in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, opponent floor percentage and opponent shooting percentage. When they face bottom-tier offenses, the T-Wolves smother them.
Over the last few weeks, the Timberwolves have held the Portland Trail Blazers to 93 points, the Orlando Magic to 92 points and the Houston Rockets to 95 points. It's going to be a struggle for Memphis to reach triple digits in this matchup, so we love the under at 215.
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