MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES GAME INFORMATION

Date: 1/13/21

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Venue: Target Center

TV Coverage: NBA League Pass

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES MONEYLINE, SPREAD, TOTAL, AND ODDS

Moneyline: Grizzlies +132 | Timberwolves -158

Spread: Timberwolves -3

Total: 220.0

NBA Championship Odds: Grizzlies +19000 | Timberwolves +19000

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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES NEWS AND NOTES

Both of these teams are dealing with some pretty significant injuries at the moment.

The Grizzlies are playing without arguably their two best players at the moment. It starts with Ja Morant, who won the NBA Rookie of the Year award last season. He was the driving force of their offense to start the season, posting a usage rate of 37.0% and an assist rate of 50.0% through his first three games. Overall, the Grizzlies have averaged 118.2 points per 100 possessions with Morant on the court this season, but that mark has dropped to 101.0 with Morant off the court.

Jaren Jackson Jr. also remains out of the lineup while recovering from knee surgery. He has the unique ability to block shots on defense and shoot the 3-pointer on offense, so he’s a big part of the Grizzlies’ plan moving forward.

Things aren’t as bad on the Timberwolves’ side. Karl-Anthony Towns is currently listed as questionable, but he’s tentatively expected to suit up in this contest. He returned to the lineup on Saturday vs. the Spurs but sat out Sunday on the second leg of a back-to-back. Head coach Ryan Saunders said he expects Towns to be available for this contest, but it sounds like he’s clearly at less than 100%.

Josh Okogie is also questionable. He returned to the lineup on Sunday after missing six straight games, and he’s had a massive impact on the defensive end for the Timberwolves this season. They’ve allowed -15.4 fewer points per 100 possessions with Okogie on the court this season, and Minnesota allowed at least 123 points in all six games without Okogie.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES PREVIEW AND PICK

I don’t think the return of Okogie is fully factored into this matchup. The Timberwolves have been so much better with him in the lineup this season. They’ve increased their Net Rating by +20.5 points per 100 possessions with him on the court, and most of that comes on the defensive end. They’ve gone 3-1 in their four games with Okogie and 0-6 without him. As far as role players go, he’s clearly very important.

Towns’ impact is less surprising. He’s the Timberwolves’ best player, and he’s put together a wonderful season when on the court this season. He’s displayed his elite combination of scoring and efficiency, averaging 21.0 points per game while shooting 41.7% from 3-point range. Towns has shot at least 40.0% from 3-point range in each of the past four seasons, which is extremely rare for a player of his size. The Timberwolves have increased their Net Rating by +24.0 points per 100 possessions with Towns on the court this season, which is the best mark on the squad.

Overall, the Timberwolves have outscored opponents by an average of +13.1 points per 100 possessions with both Towns and Okogie on the court. As long as both players are available today, the Grizzlies will struggle to cover the spread. The Grizzlies have been outscored by -4.5 points per 100 possessions without Morant, so this is a pretty sizable mismatch.

The Pick: Grizzlies -3