The Memphis Grizzlies (17-22) and Orlando Magic (22-18) will face off in the NBA on Thursday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. ET from Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany. The game will broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video.
The Magic are 4.5-point favorites over the Grizzlies on the spread (Magic -4.5), with the over/under set at 229 total points. Orlando is a -200 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Memphis is +165 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Grizzlies vs. Magic predictions and NBA Berlin picks for Thursday, January 15.
Grizzlies vs Magic Prediction
- Grizzlies vs Magic pick: Cam Spencer Over 7.5 Assists (+100)
My Magic vs. Grizzlies best bet is on Cam Spencer over 7.5 assists, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Grizzlies vs Magic Odds
| Grizzlies Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -110 | 229 -110o / -110u | +165 |
| Magic Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -110 | 229 -110o / -110u | -200 |
Grizzlies vs Magic NBA Berlin Preview
The Grizzlies have won eight of their last 10 games against the Magic while going 6-4 against the spread.
This year's series will be a 2-game international set, with one game set in Berlin today and then another in London on Sunday.
Orlando has a strong German presence with brothers and stars of Germany's National Team, Franz and Moritz Wagner, as well as second-year forward Tristan da Silva.
The fans will get a treat as Moritz made his season debut on Sunday, scoring eight points in 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, Franz is not on the injury report and appears set to return to the lineup. He has been out for over a month with an ankle sprain, so I would anticipate a minutes limit for him.
The Magic have been able to tread water, going 8-9 in his absence, and Anthony Black has been a major reason why.
Over his past 17 games, Black is averaging 19.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists with 47/37/77 shooting splits.
His play over the last month has more than doubled his career scoring average of nine points per game and he is now averaging nearly 16 per game this season.
He is likely to remain in the starting lineup as Jalen Suggs will remain out, though he may not have as many opportunities with Wagner back along, Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane healthy.
This is also the first meeting since the teams completed an offseason trade that sent Bane to Orlando in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four first-round picks and a pick swap.
Due to this series, he will not get a chance to return to Memphis this season. However, he will likely be looking forward to facing his former team for the first time.
Memphis will be without his longtime backcourt mate, Ja Morant, who is listed as out with a right calf contusion. However, with trade rumors swirling, he may have played his last game for the franchise as well.
Morant has been limited to 18 games this season and Memphis has been without backup guards Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. all season.
That has led to an unexpected role for Cam Spencer, though the former second-round pick has been up to the task.
He is averaging 12 points and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 46.6% from three. He has played 30 minutes in each of his last two games and tallied 23 assists.
Grizzlies vs Magic Prediction, Betting Analysis
Spencer enters this game with eight assists in four of his last five games.
Over that span, he is averaging 9.2 assists and 13.4 potential assists per game. Additionally, two of those games were in difficult matchups against the Spurs and Thunder.
Additionally, Spencer is averaging 6.8 assists in 20 games without Morant this season.
However, he has recorded eight assists in seven of his last eight games without Morant and averaged 9.7 assists in that span, all of which were starts.
He has four games with 11 or more assists in that span, and I also do not mind sprinkling on him to record a double-double at +360 on DraftKings
Due to injuries, the Magic have had Banchero and Wagner together for just 14 games this season. In those games, Banchero is averaging 7.9 rebounds per game and pulled down eight in eight of those games.
Banchero is averaging 10 rebounds and 15.5 rebound chances per game over his last eight games. He has recorded eight rebounds in six of his last eight games and he will have a strong chance of getting there again today.
Even though the Wagner brothers may be on limited minutes, I expect them to be aggressive with their opportunities in their native country.
Over the last few years, Franz has scored 15 points in six of his last 10 games when playing 25 minutes or less. He is averaging 21.8 minutes per game in that span.
Pick: Cam Spencer Over 7.5 Assists (+100, DraftKings)
Grizzlies vs Magic Parlay Picks
- Franz Wagner 15+ Points
- Paolo Banchero 8+ Rebounds
- Cam Spencer 8+ Assists
Parlay Odds: +420 via DraftKings
Spread
I'm not betting either side of the spread in this game.
Moneyline
No play on the moneyline.
Over/Under
My Magic vs Grizzlies betting prediction is a same game parlay combining three player prop overs.
