The Houston Rockets continue their road trip with a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.
The pregame narrative: The Rockets are at a tough spot in their schedule and I expect the offensively-minded Grizzlies to take advantage and walk away with the win. I’m adding prop picks on Desmond Bane and Jalen Green to make up this +300 SGP.
Check out my Rockets vs. Grizzlies predictions for Jan. 30.
Rockets vs. Grizzlies predictions
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Parlay: Grizzlies moneyline + Bane over 16.5 points + Green over 2.5 assists (+300)
Grizzlies moneyline (-195): Houston is rolling right now, going 8-2 over its last 10 games, but tonight provides a tough situational matchup.
Memphis is a strong home team, holding a 19-5 record at FedEx Forum. The side also owns arguably the most electric offence in the NBA.
- 103.8 possessions/game (1st)
- 123.3 points/game (1st)
- 48.6 field goal % (t-5th)
That feels like a big obstacle to overcome for the Rockets who are playing their fourth road game in six nights.
Memphis is coming off a 143-106 blowout loss to the New York Knicks and should be motivated to get a better result at home with a clear rest advantage.
Other SGP legs
Bane over 16.5 points (-130): Bane is having a down year in terms of production. He is averaging 17.7 points, his lowest total since his rookie season.
However, this is still a very achievable line for the dynamic guard.
Since Dec. 21, Bane has cleared this line in 16-of-18 games, averaging 21.2 points on 54.1% from the field and 44.5% from the 3-point range.
In the two games where he finished with less than 17 points, he totalled exactly 16 so his scoring floor is very reliable.
He has good shooting splits for the season (49.7/38.8/86.0) but the issue’s been a lack of volume more often than not. When Bane takes 10-plus shots this season, he’s 20-8 against this wager.
Green over 2.5 assists (-180): Green has been upping his game as a passer.
Since Jan. 9, the shooting guard had three or more assists in eight of 10 games. In his last appearance against the Atlanta Hawks, he finished with zero helpers but I’m jumping right back on the wagon.
With Jaren Jackson Jr. patrolling the paint for Memphis (3.0 steals/blocks per game), I envision Green tapping back into that playmaking role that’s been successful in January.
According to 3stepsbasket.com, Memphis is an above-average team defending the rim, holding opponents 55.8% in the paint.
That should deter Green from slashing to the basket, leading to more passing out of the pick and roll and on the perimeter.
Picks made at 10:23 a.m. ET on 01/30/2025.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.