The Memphis Grizzlies have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league so far this year. Through 40 games, their record is dead even at 20-20. That’s hard to believe for a team that was in the Western Conference Finals last season.

The Houston Rockets have a solid record at 29-15, but based on preseason expectations they have been a bit of a disappointment thus far as well. Houston has won a lot of games, but their inconsistency has plagued them against the best teams in the NBA. It will be interesting to see if this team gels as we move into the second half of the regular season.

Both of these teams have a high upside, but they need to make a lot of progress if they are going to do any damage in the postseason. They’ll square off Friday night in Houston.

Grizzlies at Rockets Betting Story Lines

Memphis is one of the hardest teams in the league to figure out so far this season. They are 9-7 straight up on the road but only 11-13 at home. Memphis is just 9-15 against the spread on their home court. They are 8-7-1 ATS on the road. They have risen up and played their best basketball against some of the best teams in the league only to look bad against mediocre and poor teams.

It’s seems to me like Memphis is struggling to find an identity this year. The players weren’t happy at all in the offseason when coach Lionel Hollins was let go. Dave Joerger is the new head man for the Grizzlies, and the team hasn’t responded well to his coaching style. Joerger started out the season saying he wanted the team to get out in transition and run the floor a lot more often this year. The experiment of running and pushing the tempo didn’t last long, and now the Grizzlies are back to slowing the game down and trying to work it inside.

It never really made any sense to try to run the floor when the strength of your team is your physical frontcourt. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol have both had disappointing seasons thus far, and you have to wonder if it has something to do with the coaching change. Gasol has also been injured, so he might be able to get it going again once he’s completely healthy. Mike Conley has been the only real consistent performer for the Grizzlies so far this year.

How inconsistent are the Houston Rockets? One look inside their recent game against Oklahoma City tells you how good the Rockets can look as well as how bad they can look. Houston led Oklahoma City 73-59 at halftime. The Rockets managed to score a grand total of 19 points in the second half in a 104-92 loss to the Thunder. Houston scored 41 points in the second quarter alone but followed that up with 10 in the third and nine in the fourth. That set a new NBA record for biggest disparity in points scored in the first vs. second half. It also left bettors and fans with a lot of question marks about this Rockets team.

No one is questioning the potential of a team with James Harden and Dwight Howard in the starting lineup, but it does seem like there might be some chemistry issues with the Rockets. Is this team united enough to go into the playoffs and beat the best of the best? That remains to be seen. Harden and Howard both have good numbers this year, but Chandler Parsons is a key piece for this team as well. Parsons is averaging 17.2 points and 5.8 boards per game, and he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

Grizzlies at Rockets NBA Betting Odds and Key Trends

According to odds from Bookmaker, the Houston Rockets are 5.5-point home favorites in this one. The posted total is set at 199.5 points. Memphis is 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a SU loss. They are 4-0 ATS in their last four games when playing against a team with a winning record. Houston is just 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS win. The “under” is 20-7 in the last 27 games between these two played in Houston. The home team is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings.

Free NBA Picks: Grizzlies at Rockets Betting Predictions

This game sets up to be a battle of two teams with very different styles. Houston likes to get out in transition and run, while the Grizzlies have returned to their slow play of late. The first two meetings this year between these two finished well under the posted total. I’m not fond of backing either side in this one because of their inconsistency, but I do like the value on the under. Look for a game that stays lower scoring than most expect.

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