NBA Betting Odds – February 26
Carrie Stroup here with your NBA betting odds for Friday night February 26.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (33-22) at LOS ANGELES LAKERS (11-48)
Memphis -5.5, Total: 211
The Lakers will be looking to prevent an eighth straight loss when they host the Grizzlies on Friday.
The Grizzlies have been playing some solid basketball lately, winning-and-covering in three of their past four games. Memphis no longer is able to play through the post because of injuries and the team has now shifted to more of a small ball approach. That approach has paid off, as the Grizzlies are averaging 107.8 PPG over the past four games. They also lit up this Lakers team when the two teams met on Wednesday, winning 128-119 in a game where they shot 56.5% from the field. They’ll be hoping for more of the same on Friday as well.
Los Angeles will need to clamp down defensively or the team is likely going to lose its eighth straight game. The Lakers have allowed five straight opponents to shoot 50% or better from the floor and they will not be able to win games if they cannot play better defensively.
The Grizzlies have dominated this head-to-head series lately, going 9-1 SU but just 2-6-1 ATS against the Lakers over the past three seasons. Memphis has also won four straight at Staples Center in that span.
The Grizzlies have won three of their past four games and one guy that should be able to get it going on Friday is PG Mike Conley (15.1 PPG, 6.1 APG, 1.2 SPG). Conley tore it up against this Lakers team on Wednesday, finishing with 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds in 29 minutes of action. He was 10-for-14 from the floor in that game and 2-for-4 from behind the arc as well. With Gasol out for the season, this is Conley’s team and he is thriving with the increased pace that the Grizzlies are playing at.
PF Zach Randolph (14.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG) has also been playing a lot better for Memphis lately. He has seen a lot of time as the center for the Grizzlies and is averaging 18.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG over the past five games. He should be in for a good one on Friday as well. He had 14 points, nine rebounds and three assists against the Lakers on Wednesday, but he did not shoot the ball very well. He was just 5-of-12 from the field and should be a bit better this time around.
One guy that could provide a spark for Memphis in this game is SG P.J. Hairston (6.0 PPG). In his second game with the team, Hairston had 17 points in 23 minutes of action. There are plenty of shots to go around on this team now and his success against the Lakers should be something he can replicate on Friday.
The Lakers have really been struggling as of late and it is important that they start to win games soon. They don’t want to establish a poor culture with their young players, so learning how to win is going to be extremely important the next few weeks.
One guy that has played well for this team is PG D’Angelo Russell (12.3 PPG, 3.5 APG, 1.1 SPG). Russell is starting at the point guard position now and he is averaging 15.3 PPG and 6.0 APG over the past three contests. He had 22 points, eight assists and four rebounds against the Grizzlies on Wednesday and should be even better in front of his home fans on Friday. He will, however, need to play better defensively against Mike Conley in this one.
As is always the case with this team, SG Kobe Bryant (17.1 PPG) will also be a focal point of the Lakers offense on Friday. He has really been struggling lately and will need to get back on track with a good game here. He had 13 points when these teams met on Wednesday and will be hoping to do a lot better this time around.
It’d also be nice if PF Julius Randle (11.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG) can come through with a big performance on Friday. He had 11 points and 14 rebounds the last time these teams met and will be hoping to outplay Zach Randolph in this one. He is a bit quicker than Randolph, so he should be able to blow by him for a few easy buckets at the rim.
CHICAGO BULLS (30-26) at ATLANTA HAWKS (31-27)
Atlanta -7.5, Total:209
Chicago will be going for its fourth straight victory when the team heads to Atlanta on Friday night.
The Bulls have been playing very well recently, winning their third straight game in a 109-104 victory over the Wizards as 1.5-point home underdogs on Wednesday. Chicago has shot better than 50% from the field in each of those three games and the team has also taken good care of the ball, turning the ball over just 32 times over the course of the winning streak. It would be a huge plus if they can avoid coughing it up against the Hawks on Friday.
Atlanta, meanwhile, has been beating itself with turnovers recently. The Hawks have lost three straight games and have turned the ball over a total of 54 times in those games. If they cannot start playing some smarter basketball then they will continue to lose games moving forward.
These teams have already met twice this season and the Hawks dominated the Bulls in both of those contests. Atlanta won 120-105 as a 2.5-point home favorite on Jan. 9 and followed that up with a 113-90 victory as a four-point road favorite on Feb. 10. The Bulls are, however, 5-4 SU and ATS when facing the Hawks over the past three seasons.
One thing to keep an eye on this game is the fact that the Bulls have struggled against teams that don’t draw a lot of fouls. Chicago is just 11-25 ATS when facing teams that attempt 24 or less free throws per game, which means they struggle against teams that win games by spacing the floor and hitting jump shots.
PG Derrick Rose (Hamstring) is questionable for the Bulls, who are already without SG Jimmy Butler (Knee), PF Nikola Mirotic (Appendix) and C Joakim Noah (Shoulder) indefinitely. The Hawks are only without C Tiago Splitter (Hip), who is out for the remainder of the season.
The Bulls have put together three straight wins and one guy that has really stepped it up for the team is SF Doug McDermott (8.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG). Over the course of the winning streak, McDermott is averaging 20.0 PPG and he is an impressive 25-for-37 from the field in those games. If he can continue to shoot the ball well then it will be a major boost for this team with Butler out.
Yet,it will be important that Chicago gets PG Derrick Rose (16.5 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.7 RPG) back soon. Rose was averaging 26.0 PPG in the three games before sitting out against the Wizards on Wednesday. He had seemingly looked like he was back to playing at an All-Star level, but he is now dealing with knee soreness. If he can play in this one then he will need to find a way to outperform Jeff Teague. The Bulls are lacking in firepower, so Rose can’t afford to not play well if he is in.
C Pau Gasol (16.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.0 BPG) is also going to need to be ready to play in this one. He had 10 points, 15 boards, nine assists and a steal in a win over the Wizards on Wednesday, but he is in for a tough challenge against a very talented Hawks frontcourt. If he does not play well then it’s going to be difficult for the Bulls to win this one.
The Hawks desperately need a victory on Friday and that means that PG Jeff Teague (15.1 PPG, 5.5 APG, 1.3 SPG), PF Paul Millsap (17.7 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.4 BPG) and C Al Horford (15.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.6 BPG) will all need to be on top of their games against Chicago.
Teague is going to have to come ready to play, as he has a chance to really give the Hawks an edge in this one. If Rose is out then Teague will need to be extremely aggressive against the Bulls’ backup point guards. If Rose plays then Teague will just need to hold his own.
It’ll be up to Millsap and Horford to take over this game for the Hawks. Both guys are extremely talented and they should be able to find ways to score against Pau Gasol on Friday. Gasol blocks a lot of shots, but he is a bit slow at his age and the Hawks’ big men will need to take advantage of that.
One guy that needs to step it up for Atlanta is SF Kent Bazemore (11.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.3 SPG). Bazemore is averaging 11.9 PPG on the season, but he is averaging just 4.0 PPG over the past five games. He has really struggled shooting the ball in those games, shooting just 22.9% from the field and 12.5% from the outside. He needs to start knocking down some shots soon, as he is a huge part of this team on both ends of the floor.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
