Game 3 of the 2024-25 NBA Playoffs series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies begins at 9:30 pm ET on Thursday, April 24th. This has been the most lopsided series of the playoffs, with the Thunder absolutely cruising thus far. However, the series now heads back to Memphis, where Ja Morant and Co. will be hoping to figure things out and avoid getting swept. Can they do it?
Keep reading for Thunder vs. Grizzlies odds and predictions, and make sure you come back to VSiN throughout the course of the NBA Playoffs. We’ll have previews of every single series and daily best bets/player props. We’ll also have betting trends and insights from our analytics guru Steve Makinen. Of course, we’ll also be talking about all of this on our live programming too! It’s a great time to be a VSiN subscriber, so make sure you check out our $59 Summer Special. That’ll give you full access to everything we have to offer until August 1st!
How To Watch Thunder vs. Grizzlies
Where: FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee
When: 9:30 pm ET on Thursday, April 24th
Channel: TNT
Thunder vs. Grizzlies Odds
(Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and accurate as of Thursday, April 24th at 12:30 pm ET)
Moneyline: Thunder -410, Grizzlies +320
Spread: Thunder -9.5 (-110), Grizzlies +9.5 (-110)
Total: Over 227 (-110), Under 227 (-110)
Thunder vs. Grizzlies Prediction
My series play for this matchup was for the Grizzlies to win a game. I can’t say I’m feeling great about that right now. The first two games were incredibly lopsided, with the Thunder winning by a combined 70 points. However, I do maintain that there’s another level Memphis can get to offensively. I’m obviously aware the Grizzlies are facing an elite Thunder defense, meaning Memphis has to work hard for everything offensively. But the Grizzlies currently have an offensive rating of 85.6 through two postseason games, and they had an offensive rating of 117.2 during the regular season. So, I don’t care how good Oklahoma City is defensively, Memphis is good enough to right the ship and start playing better on offense.
Getting back to playing home games should help Memphis figure out a lot of things. Oklahoma City’s road net rating is just +10.5. That’s obviously very high, but it’s not as high as their season-long mark. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies’ +7.4 net rating in home games is higher than their season-long mark, and their 118.6 offensive rating in home games is also higher than their road numbers. On top of that, Ja Morant won’t be as bad in Games 3 and 4 as he was in Games 1 and 2. I’m not the biggest fan of his game, but he’s better than 38.1% shooting from the floor and 25.0% shooting from 3. I think we’ll see a much better version of him in Memphis, and that should help the Grizzlies avoid getting trounced.
It’s also hard not to think that Oklahoma City is in for some offensive regression. The Thunder scored 139.2 points per 100 possessions in Game 1, and they followed that up with 117.0 points per 100 possessions in Game 2. If Memphis can force Oklahoma City into another performance like we saw on Tuesday, while also playing a bit better offensively, we should see a competitive game tonight.
Also, for what it’s worth, after being outscored by 15 in the first quarter of Game 2, the Grizzlies only lost the last three quarters by four points. They played a little better after a rough start, which could be something they can build on when they hit the floor at FedExForum.
Memphis also happens to be 8-2 both straight-up and against the spread in home games with totals of 220 to 229.5 this season. And Oklahoma City is just 21-20 ATS in games with totals in that range. Sure, that’s a winning record for the Thunder, but it’s nothing considering how good the team has been this season.
Bet: Grizzlies +10 (-105)
