Grizzlies at Thunder Game 5 NBA Playoff Odds

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The Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder will tip off Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinal series Wednesday, May 11 at 9:30 PM ET at Oklahoma City Arena. TNT has the coverage.

After losing an overtime heartbreaker Saturday, the Thunder won a triple-overtime thriller in Game 4 to even the series at 2-2. Now, NBA odds makers expect the Thunder to take the series lead, listing them as a 6-point favorite with the total set at 197 for Game 5.

Both Memphis and Oklahoma City would like to win the next two to move on to the Western Conference Finals knowing Dallas is already there waiting, but that doesn’t appear likely with as hotly contested as this matchup has been. These teams have played three overtime games this season.

The free throw line could loom large the remainder of the series. Oklahoma City, which leads the NBA in free-throw shooting at 82.4 percent made 42 of 50 attempts in Game 4. All-Star forward KevinDurant was 16 of 18 from the foul line and finished with 35 points.

Memphis was nearly as good, making 37 of its 40 free-throw attempts, but Oklahoma City’s 10 more attempts reflected it being the more aggressive team, a fact Memphis guard Tony Allen won’t argue

“It was a great, great, great showcase for the fans, but we needed it more than they did,” Allen said. “But they showed poise, and they were the aggressor. They wanted it more than we did.”

History is certainly on Oklahoma City’s side at this point when you consider that teams with the home-court advantage in a series tied 2-2 win the series 73.9 percent of the time.

But Memphis has no reason to panic. After all, it has won five of eight meetings against Oklahoma City this season.

The Grizzlies know they must be better on the offensive end if they’re going to pull off the upset in Game 5. They have been held to 37.8 and 36.0 percent shooting the last two games.

Oklahoma City’s solid defense on Zach Randolph has largely contributed to Memphis’ inefficient shooting. Randolf was 8 of 22 (36.4 percent) from the field in Game 3 and 9 of 25 (36.0 percent) from the floor in Game 4.  He got whatever he wanted against the Spurs but Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka are doing an excellent job of forcing him into tough shots in this series.

It will be interesting to see how Randolph responds in Game 5, especially after playing nearly 56 minutes Monday. He may have to trust his teammates more than ever Wednesday night.

From an NBA betting perspective, the Grizzlies are definitely worth a look in Game 5. Consider that Memphis is an impressive 23-5 against the number in its last 28 games following a straight up loss. Also, Memphis is 27-8-2 against the spread in its last 37 games as an underdog.

The over has been the play when betting the total. In fact, the over is now 8-1 in the last nine meetings between these squads.

Want to start winning more of your NBA picks? NBA expert handicapper Jimmy Boyd can help!

About the Author: Jimmy Boyd is known for his consistency. He's a proven winner in college and pro football, college and pro basketball and pro baseball. He finished as the No. 1 ranked MLB handicapper in 2007 by earning $1,000/game bettors $50,050. He also finished as the No. 1 ranked basketball handicapper in the 2008-09 season, profiting $1,000/game bettors 38,530. His basketball plays have banked $1,000/game bettors nearly $80,000 the last five years. Check out Jimmy's premium picks for tonight!
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