The Memphis Grizzlies host the Los Angeles Lakers in the fifth match of their 2023 postseason playoff series on Wednesday. The Lakers lead the series 3-1, and now only need one more win to make it into the 2nd Round of the NBA playoffs. Here we look at their chances of getting the job done in Tennessee with our latest NBA betting picks.
LeBron James was the star of the show as the Lakers went into a 3-1 series lead on Monday night. The legendary player scored 22 points, and also claimed a career-high 20 rebounds, while helping his Lakers team to a 117-111 win over the Grizzlies.
The Lakers now lead the best of seven series 3-1, and know that one more win will see them through to the 2nd Round. This heaps all the pressure onto the Grizzlies. As Taylor Jenkins’ team now needs to win all three remaining matches to make it to the next round.
The result means in the betting to qualify for the 2nd Round, the Lakers are now just -900 with the best NBA playoffs betting sites. The same betting sites make the Grizzlies +600. It’s been a remarkable showing from the Lakers to get into this position. And it just goes to show the importance of having a superstar like LeBron James on the team, who always turns up and produces on the big occasion.
In the latest betting to win the 2023 NBA Championship the Lakers are now just +800, while the Memphis Grizzlies are out at +10000. The betting favorites are the Boston Celtics, who are just +210. The Celtics have reclaimed the favorites tag from the Milwaukee Bucks, who are now third favorites at +600.
The Bucks are in a spot of bother at the moment in their series with the Miami Heat. As things stand, the Bucks are 3-1 down in the series, and like the Grizzlies, they need to win all three remaining matches of the series.
Despite being 3-1 down, the Bucks are still as short as +125 to win the series. The Heat are favorites at -145. This could in part be down to the fact that the Bucks have home advantage in matches 5 and 7 (if required) in the series.
Elsewhere in the betting, the second favorites behind the Celtic are now the Phoenix Suns. We mentioned earlier about the Lakers having a superstar like LeBron James in the side, and the same applies to the Suns who have Kevin Durant. Along with Devin Booker, the pair have been instrumental in the Suns’ progress to this stage of the competition.
Our odds table below has the latest betting to win the 2023 NBA Championships. You can read more about the bookmakers listed here at our online sportsbook reviews page.
| Betting to Win 2023 NBA Championship |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | +210 | +210 | +210 |
| Phoenix Suns | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Golden State Warriors | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Denver Nuggets | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| LA Lakers | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| New York Knicks | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Sacramento Kings | +4500 | +4500 | +4500 |
| Miami Heat | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
With home advantage, the best NBA betting sites are making the Memphis Grizzlies favorites to win the 5th match of the series. On the moneyline the Grizzlies are -175, with the LA Lakers at +155.
This equals a start of 4 for the Lakers on the handicap spread. Starting from +4 points, the Lakers are -108 in this market. There must be money coming in for the Grizzlies at -4, as they have been backed into -112 to cover the spread.
Finally, the total points market line is set at 221.5. Over 221.5 is -112, and under 221.5 is -108.
So far in this series, the spread has been covered in two of the four matches. In the opening match, a total of 240 points were scored, and in the fourth match there were 228 points scored – although 20 of those came in overtime. In the two matches that fell below the spread, the total points scored were 196 and 212.
In the regular-season the Lakers won twice against the Grizzlies, and lost once. The Lakers won their two home games, and lost the one on the road.
In the playoffs, the Lakers have won their two home matches. On the road they have lost one and won one. The form seems to be just slightly pointing towards a home win, but can the Grizzlies handle the pressure of knowing they can’t afford to lose?
With the home advantage, also comes the tag of favorites. But this also adds to the pressure, and LA Head Coach Darvin Ham and his team will know this.
We believe Memphis is a risk on the moneyline at -175, and we won’t be going near that price. The Lakers have a head of steam up now, LeBron is in the mood, and Austin Reaves is firing as well. Will the Lakers get the job done and complete the series win here? We’re not so sure. But if they don’t win, we believe it will be close. Therefore we’re backing the LA Lakers to cover the handicap spread for our main betting pick.
In the over and under market, it looks a bit of a 50/50 call. The spread has been covered once in the two games played at the FedExForum. In the series as a whole, it has been covered twice in four. But it was only covered comprehensively on one occasion. We’re going for under 221.5 points.
About the Author
Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.
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