On Wednesday, February 2, 2022, the Memphis Grizzlies go to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks. The visitors are seen as the favorite, the reason being that they’re currently sitting in the #3 place in the Western Conference with a 35-18 record. Meanwhile, the hosts are out of the playoff zone in the Eastern Conference, sitting in the #11 place with 24 wins and 27 defeats.
The good news for the Knicks is that the battle for the postseason is far from being over. Not only is the NBA season long but the New Yorkers have just one loss more than the Atlanta Hawks, the team that’s currently occupying the last available playoff spot.
What this means is that with a win on Wednesday evening, they would overtake Atlanta’s spot. Of course, beating the Grizzlies is much easier said than done. Still, the fact is that the Knicks won their previous two duels with the Grizzlies. Can they beat them for the third straight time?
Memphis Grizzlies at New York Knicks Odds
| Spread | |
| Memphis Grizzlies -3 | New York Knicks +3 |
| -100 | -110 |
| Moneyline | |
| Memphis Grizzlies | New York Knicks |
| -148 | +126 |
| Points | |
| Over 217 Points | Under 217 Points |
| -112 | -108 |
*Odds taken from FanDuel New York on February 1.
Knicks Coming Off a Win Over Sacramento Kings
After three straight losses on the road, the Knicks returned home and won against the Kings on the last day of January. That was their 13th win at Madison Square Garden this season. That might not sound too impressive but six of those wins happened in 2022.
Another impressive thing about the Knicks’ run in 2022 is that they seem to have great chemistry among the players. With their biggest star, Derrick Rose, out with an injury, the Knicks have been focusing on team efforts.
Every member of the team’s been giving his best, which explains why four different players were their scoring leaders in the past five games, namely, Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin, Alec Burks, and R.J. Barrett.
Barrett deserves special praise. The Canadian forward is just 21, but in Rose’s absence, he’s been a true leader. The best thing is that his form seems to be improving constantly. Evidence of this is that in 2022, we saw him putting away 30+ points per game on three occasions.
Grizzlies Want to Rebound After Philadelphia 76ers Loss
After three straight wins, the Grizzlies’ superb run came to an end on Monday evening. That’s when they lost to the 76ers in Philadelphia in overtime. The final score was 122-119 after 111-111 in regulation.
Desmond Bane and Ja Morant were fabulous in that game, scoring 34 and 37 points, respectively. For Morant, that’s nothing out of the ordinary. The 22-year-old has been putting away plenty of points this season. We saw him scoring 30+ points in each of the Grizzlies’ seven previous games.
He’s expected to continue scoring a lot, although Morant might struggle on Wednesday, the reason being that he had to spend nearly 42 minutes on the court against the 76ers.
Another reason why he and his teammates might struggle offensively is that they’re taking on a team that’s famously good in defense. The Knicks concede 104.6 PPG, which makes them a Top 4 team in the NBA.
Grizzlies vs Knicks 2022 Prediction
The Memphis Grizzlies are favored for a reason – they’re a better team. However, the Knicks have been amazing defensively this season, not to mention that they love playing in front of their own fans at Madison Square Garden.
Finally, the Knicks also have a great history against this opponent, which surely gives them confidence ahead of Wednesday’s clash.
Pick: New York Knicks
