Pacers vs. Grizzlies NBA picks: Indiana will have more than 6 players available vs. surprisingly good Memphis
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The Pacers should get reinforcements back tonight at surprising Memphis
• 4 min read
We have 14 games to choose from around the NBA on Wednesday night as the league comes back after going dark on what turned out to be a historic Election Night. With so many options, I really have no excuse if I pick a game and get it wrong tonight. I could probably do an easier one, capping-wise, than Pacers at Grizzlies, but I find this matchup interesting for a few reasons. Claim the best Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55, trade $25, and receive a $55 bonus here:
It's an 8 ET tip (no national TV, because it's Indiana at Memphis, so no shock there) from FedExForum. At -7.5 via DraftKings, the Grizzlies are seeing massive ATS action as of publication, with 99% of handle and 80% of bets. There are similar leans on Under 229.5 points.
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Pacers-Grizzlies NBA same-game parlay
- Memphis money line
- Grizzlies alt Under 131.5
- Cam Boozer 15+ points
DraftKings: SGP price: +136 (subject to change)
The NBA probably has been my favorite professional sports league since Michael Jordan's Bulls started dominating. Long time, I know. But I've been pulling back that interest some in recent years because I am so tired of healthy guys sitting out for "rest management." These guys only work seven months a year and make lifetime money. If you are hurt, that's hugely different.
In my opinion, the Pacers embarrassed themselves and the NBA on Monday in a 108-104 home loss to Atlanta, Indiana's fifth straight loss. Yes, some guys were out injured for the team in that one but 11 guys were out -- representing about 93% of their payroll – with six total available. All six guys — including the team's three two-way players — played 34 or more minutes and reached double figures. Second-round rookie guard Braden Smith, so good in college at Purdue, had a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists in 42 minutes of action.
Per NBA.com, it marked the first time in 22 years that the Pacers used so few players in a game. While it was the eighth instance of teams using only six guys over the past 15 seasons, almost all the others were in meaningless games at the end of the campaign when teams are tanking or resting for the playoffs. This season isn't even two weeks old.
The last time a team used only six players in a game even in the first month of season was on Nov. 24, 2009, when Golden State did and still beat Dallas. ESPN topped that stat by telling me that the last time a team used six or fewer players this early in a season was in 1948, when the Lakers used five in their third game of the season.
What really irked me was Indiana resting arguably its second-best player in Pascal Siakam in the second of a back-to-back when the roster was in such bad shape. Kelly Oubre Jr. was a late scratch because of a bruised knee and Larry Nance Jr. sat with an illness.
Now, some guys are truly hurt and also won't play tonight: Superstar Tyrese Haliburton and fellow guards TJ McConnell, Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy. But Oubre, fellow forward Obi Toppin and starting center Ivica Zubac are all questionable after also sitting. Zubac would be a help, as he has been limited to only three games and has not played since Oct. 25. So I expect a competitive team tonight but one that also might be looking ahead to its next game against Denver in Mexico City on Saturday.
My plan here was to focus on huge surprise Memphis, which is near the top of the Western Conference at 6-1 and was the league's last to lose despite a preseason win total set at just 28.5, which was among the NBA's lowest.
This was to be a full-on rebuilding season behind No. 3 overall rookie Cameron Boozer. The former Duke star has been great, to the point that maybe Washington at No. 1 (AJ Dybantsa) and Utah at No. 2 (Darryn Peterson) already realize they made a mistake passing on Boozer.
He's your +200 favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year and just plays so much wiser than his 19 years of age in averaging 17.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He had an 18/12/12 triple-double in a very impressive win in Portland on Oct. 29, becoming the youngest front-court player in league annals with one. Just think how good he'll be when he bulks up and starts shooting better – only 36% from the field so far. For tonight, Booser has an Over/Under PRA of 32.5.
That's tied for second-highest tonight with Siakam (33.5), along with maybe the NBA's most surprising player in Grizzlies 29-year-old journeyman guard Ty Jerome. He's averaging a stunning 28.2 points per game on 50.4% from the field. That's obviously not going to be sustained for someone who doesn't even average double-digit points for his career – although he scored a career-high 19.7 PPG last season.
I thought Jerome's fade already had started with just 25 points in back-to-back games before putting up 40 in that first loss of the year Monday, 135-134 in OT vs. New Orleans. The Grizzlies are listing reserve guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (6.4 PPG) as out and backup center Quentin Post (7.6 PPG) as questionable.
The Pacers have lost five straight games in Memphis, with their last win there on April 11, 2021. The model expects that trend to continue with a 121-118 Grizzlies victory. Indiana is decently defensively at 115.8 PPG, and Zubac will help on that end. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter.
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