NBA Best Bets Today: Grizzlies-Kings, Trail Blazers-Jazz and Cavaliers-Bucks

We live in a world in which the Memphis Grizzlies are the only remaining unbeaten team in the NBA. That sounds like a prop bet that nobody would touch.

But the Grizzlies are 5-0 in a young season in which they were supposed to be one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. It’s early, of course, but we still have to give Memphis credit for zipping out of the gate as if the Grizzlies mean business this season.

Funny that the Grizzlies’ rise comes after trading Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers. At one point, Morant guided Memphis to a 56-26 record and the Grizzlies were supposed to be on their way to greater heights.

SACRAMENTO KINGS AT MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

The Grizzlies completed a 4-0 road trip by beating Morant and the Trail Blazers 124-103 on Thursday and are now opening a four-game homestand. Rookie Cameron Boozer recorded his first career triple-double with team highs of 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists as one of eight players in double digits against Portland.

Memphis notched a 123-112 win in Sacramento on Sunday when Ty Jerome poured in 31 points, hitting all 14 of his free throws. Jerome leads the Grizzlies with a 25.8 scoring average. Zach LaVine was stellar for the Kings with 37 points while rookie Darius Acuff Jr. added 22 but Sacramento lost to the Memphis for the fourth time in the past five meetings.

Sacramento is one of two remaining winless teams after losing its first five games and the Kings have already been whipped by 25 points by the Los Angeles Clippers and 27 by the San Antonio Spurs. Acuff, a first-round pick, has outings of 34 and 33 points while averaging 24 per game but is shooting just 37.8% from the field.

Teams to score over 233.5 points, -110

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS AT UTAH JAZZ

The Trail Blazers were 3-0 before getting battered in the second half against the Grizzlies but things got worse when Morant left in the fourth quarter with a left hamstring strain that will sideline him four-plus weeks. Morant was feeling a new lease on life in Portland but his absence will give more playing time to both Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson, who were both coming off the bench.

That deep backcourt, which includes franchise icon Damian Lillard, was providing optimism that Portland could challenge for a top-six playoff spot in the West. A good thing for the Trail Blazers is playing Utah. Portland averaged 133 points while going 4-0 against the Jazz last season.

Utah’s lone victory in five games this season is a 120-119 triumph over the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 23 and the home game with Portland will be followed by four straight on the road. Keyonte George is off to a big start with averages of 24.4 points and 6.8 rebounds but the Jazz lost Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) for approximately eight weeks, while fellow interior player Lauri Markkanen (right wrist) is questionable.

Trail Blazers -6.5 points spread, -110

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS AT MILWAUKEE BUCKS

It’s easy to see the first year of the post-Giannis Antetokounmpo era being filled with hardships for the Bucks and the season has started off with four losses in five games. Milwaukee was annihilated at home 132-100 by the Houston Rockets on Wednesday and it is easy to see Cavaliers tandem Donovan Mitchell and James Harden scoring at will in this pairing.

Cleveland won three of its first four games before falling 114-111 to the host Atlanta Hawks on Thursday. Harden scored 24 points while Mitchell scored 22 but the latter made just 1 of 9 from 3-point range. The Cavaliers also have won eight of the past nine meetings so a Milwaukee squad without Giannis figures to have an even tougher time finding a victory.

Milwaukee’s top three scorers all came from the Miami Heat in the trade for Antetokounmpo – Tyler Herro (23.4), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (17.8) and Kel’el Ware (11.8). But the Bucks don’t have a deep roster and could be in for a rough night.

Donovan Mitchell to score 25-plus points, -121