Steve Starr
- Go to BetOnline or Bovada for the latest odds on the Lakers vs Grizzlies matchup
- Ja Morant and Desmond Bane led Memphis to a blowout Game 5 win over a tired LeBron James
- TNT airs Game 6 from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Friday, April 28
Ja Morant and Desmond Bane each scored over 30 points as the Grizzlies staved off elimination with a 116-99 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Lakers will now try to close out the best-of-seven-series on home court, where they won both Games 3 and 4.
Can Memphis become just the 14th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit? Before we look at the opening line for Friday’s contest, check out the latest 2023 NBA Playoff Betting Odds and our guide to betting on NBA basketball.
Lakers vs Grizzlies
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +4.5 (-110) | +175 | Ov 219.5 (-110) |
| Los Angeles Lakers | -4.5 (-110) | -205 | Un 219.5 (-110) |
Can the Grizz claw back in?
Ja Morant (31 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) and Desmond Bane (33 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) formed an unstoppable backcourt in Wednesday’s 116-99 win. Los Angeles was only down one point with under five minutes to go in the 3rd quarter of Game 5. But Memphis went on a 26-2 run to take control on their home floor.
The Grizzlies posted the NBA’s best home record (35-6) during the regular season, but with the series shifting back to Hollywood, they have shown no ability to win on the road this year.
Ja Morant and Desmond Bane combine for 64 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists on 53% FG as the Grizzlies force game 6🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/2Qow9qzAIR
— Bryson🐻 (@BrysonWright3) April 27, 2023
LeBron James struggles in Game 5
LeBron James made history in Los Angeles’ Game 4 overtime win, becoming the oldest player in league history to put up over 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game. However, LeBron played 45 minutes on Monday night and that carried over into Wednesday’s loss.
King James made only five of 17 shots in Game 5 while going one for nine from 3-point range and turning the ball over five times. While Anthony Davis was a beast (31 points and 19 rebounds), the Lakers’ bench couldn’t make up for LeBron’s mediocre production,
Los Angeles vs Memphis
The Lakers are 4.5-point home favorites on Friday night. They would have covered that spread in each of their past two games in Crypto.com Arena, however, they needed overtime to win Game 4. Memphis has lost all three matchups in Los Angeles this year (postseason and regular season combined). And, of all the playoff teams, only Golden State (10-32) had a worse road record than the Grizzlies (16-27) in 2022-23.
Game 4’s total is set at 219.5 points. The two teams exceeded that total in Games 1 and 4, but fell short in Games 2, 3 and 5. Also keep in mind that both Lakers home games (58.1%) and Grizzlies road games (57.1%) skewed heavily UNDER this year.
LeBron James on tonight:
“Tonight, I was sh*t. And I’ll be better in Game 6.”
(via @jovanbuha) pic.twitter.com/QuyyfbRCaT
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 27, 2023
Best Bet
Oddsmakers forecast Lakers in 6 (-210) for this opening-round Western Conference series. But, if Memphis were to steal one on the road, Grizzlies in 7 (+325) is viewed as a more-likely outcome than Lakers in 7 (+475). That means there’s a lot of pressure on the Purple & Gold not to return to Tennessee.
That said, Los Angeles has only lost four times in their past 17 games. LeBron, AD and the Lakers are bonafide title contenders who will punch their ticket to the second-round on Friday night.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
