Memphis vs LA Lakers Prediction: Can't Wait to Watch Them Playing

Prediction for the NBA Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Lakers match which will take place on April 16th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

The Grizzlies have been plagued by scandals all season long. First, the team's leaders made disrespectful remarks about their rivals, infuriating all the players in the Western Conference without exception. Then Ja Morant got into a few nasty stories at once. At one point, it looked like he would give up playing this season due to lawsuits. In short, Taylor Jenkins' team isn't approaching the playoffs in the best mental state. It's likely that non-basketball-related issues will ultimately prevent Memphis from succeeding in the postseason.

Regarding playing, the Grizzlies finished the season in second place in the Western Conference (51-31), behind Denver. Offensively, Memphis finished in ninth place, averaging 116.9 points per game. Defensively, the Grizzlies are 11th with 113.0.

The Lakers are two different teams before and after the trade deadline. The former had trouble on both halves of the court, weaving their way to the bottom of the West standings. The latter became one of the best teams in the league, including on defense, and confidently advanced to the first round of the playoffs. Now the Lakers should not be underestimated. The roster has become more balanced. Anthony Davis is finally healthy, and on top of everything else, LeBron James is participating, which makes any team one of the favorites.

There's no point in citing regular season numbers here, given how much the Lakers have changed, but it's worth mentioning a play-in game. Darwin Ham's team outscored Minnesota by a 10-point handicap in the fourth quarter. They had to go into overtime, but in the extra five minutes, the Lakers won very convincingly - 108-102 (98-98).

Although the teams have played more productive games than TU, the first game of the playoffs won't end with a significant score. The Lakers improved on defense and are unlikely to stop playing effectively on their side of the court all at once in the postseason. We bet on the total under, all the more so given that Memphis has the resources to play good defense. For example, Jaren Jackson claims the title "best defensive player." Beyond that, let's look at the Lakers. Based on the progress the Los Angeles team has made in the second half of the season, LeBron James and his teammates are clearly underrated in this series.