Memphis Grizzlies vs. Boston Celtics: Keys to the game, betting odds, more

Jan 10, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) goes to the basket against Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk (41) in the second half at FedExForum. Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Boston Celtics 101-98. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

After dropping two games at home, the Memphis Grizzlies must win this game against the Boston Celtics. What should we expect in this match-up?

WHO: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Boston Celtics

WHERE: FedEx Forum – Memphis, TN

WHEN: 7:00 p.m. – Central Time

HOW TO WATCH: Fox Sports Southeast (or any online stream)

HOW TO LISTEN: 92.9 ESPN – Memphis

BETTING ODDS: Boston (3); Over/Under (193)

About the Boston Celtics

Boston hasn’t fulfilled their preseason exceptions. They’re currently 15-12, sitting at third in the Eastern Conference. Their Big 3 of Al Horford, Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder is finally healthy. In addition, Avery Bradley has been one of the biggest surprises of the year, averaging career-highs in points (18.0), rebounds (7.5) and assists (2.5). Head coach Brad Stevens is one of the greatest minds of basketball, as his teams always overachieve expectations. However, the most intriguing part of this team is their plethora of assets. Boston possess team-friendly contracts (Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and Amir Johnson), young players with oodles of potential (Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart) and Brooklyn’s first-round pick in 2017 and 2018’s drafts. It seems like everyone in the league is waiting on them to flip their assets for a star.

At the moment, Bradley, Thomas and Horford are playing like star players. If the Memphis Grizzlies are lackadaisical once again, this feisty Celtics team will give them fits.

About the Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies dropped two winnable home games against the Kings and the Jazz. While Utah’s a difficult match-up, their effort was pathetic.

Marc Gasol and Mike Conley were a combined 7-for-38 (18.4 percent) against Utah. Outside of their two top scorers, JaMychal Green (12) and Zach Randolph (10) muscled most of the scoring load.

The Memphis Grizzlies’ injury bill is looking close to clean. Over the past week, Vince Carter, Mike Conley and James Ennis have all returned from injury. In addition, free-agent acquisition Chandler Parsons’ return is coming soon. With the next two games being back-to-back’s, I wouldn’t be surprised if Parsons was back Friday against Houston.

While Mike Conley and Marc Gasol have played like All-Stars this season, the Memphis Grizzlies are lacking a third-scoring weapon to compliment them. Hopefully, Parsons can come back soon to fulfill that role.

Jan 10, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) drives to the basket between Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) and Memphis Grizzlies guard Mario Chalmers (6) during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Keys to the game/Prediction

1. Don’t let Isaiah Thomas get hot

If the Memphis Grizzlies want their night to be easier, they need to contain Isaiah Thomas. The 5’9″ guard is averaging a career-high 25.9 points. His scoring makes him one of the most dynamic forces in the league, but his size is a liability on defense. For once, Mike Conley will have a size advantage. He must capitalize on it on both ends of the court for the Memphis Grizzlies to defeat the Celtics.

2. Get Marc going early

Over the past two games, Marc Gasol hasn’t lived up to his “Western Conference Player of the Week” recognition. He’s averaging 14 points on 10-for-40 (25 percent) shooting from the field. Because of the sturdy defense from Kosta Koufos and Rudy Gobert, Gasol was clearly frustrated. In order to bounce back, the Memphis Grizzlies need Marc to be aggressive out of the gate and get rolling on offense.

3. Scoring help

As mentioned before, the Memphis Grizzlies need another scorer to unload some pressure off Gasol and Conley. While Zach Randolph is a consistent scoring threat (13.3 points), they need a big scoring night from a perimeter player in order to succeed in this match-up. Look for Troy Daniels or James Ennis to be possible scoring threats in this contest.

Prediction

This is a tough game to gauge. If the Memphis Grizzlies play like they have recently, they’ll get skunked. On the other hand, the Memphis Grizzlies may bounce back and take this one. It’ll be a great match-up that’ll go down to the wire.

I’ll be covering the game live at the FedEx Forum. Follow my personal Twitter @PAKA_FLOCKA for in-depth analysis and pre-game and post-game quotes from players and coaches. Also, toss @BealeStBearsFS a follow on Twitter for even more updates on the game. #WeEnnis