New York @ Memphis
Current Records: New York 36-28; Memphis 32-31
The New York Knicks might have tired legs after a game yesterday as they head on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies at 9 p.m. ET May 3 at FedExForum. If the contest is anything like New York's 133-129 win from their previous meeting in April, the scorekeeper will be kept real busy.
You can't lose the matchup if you win every quarter, and that was precisely the Knicks' strategy against the Houston Rockets on Sunday. New York blew past Houston 122-97. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point New York had established a 93-71 advantage. Their success was spearheaded by the efforts of point guard Derrick Rose, who had 24 points in addition to six rebounds, and power forward Julius Randle, who had 31 points and six assists along with seven boards.
Meanwhile, Memphis was just a bucket short of a victory this past Saturday and fell 112-111 to the Orlando Magic. The Grizzlies were up 60-46 at the end of the half but couldn't hold on to the lead. Small forward Kyle Anderson put forth a good effort for the losing side as he had 21 points.
The Knicks are expected to lose this next one by 4. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread, however, as they are currently on a two-game streak of ATS wins.
New York's victory brought them up to 36-28 while Memphis' defeat pulled them down to 32-31. Two stats to keep an eye on: New York comes into the matchup boasting the third fewest steals given up per game in the league at 6.6. But Memphis ranks first in the league when it comes to steals per game, with 9.32 on average. Ball control might end up being a major factor in this one.
The Grizzlies are a 4-point favorite against the Knicks, according to the latest NBA odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Grizzlies, as the game opened with the Grizzlies as a 2.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
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Memphis have won six out of their last ten games against New York.
