Getting off to a good start will be important for the Memphis Grizzlies as they navigate the first 25 games of the season without superstar point guard Ja Morant while he serves his suspension for conduct detrimental to the league.
So while the first month of the NBA season may be short, it is important to get off to a hot start. BetTennessee.com utilized ChampsorChumps.us to find the records of every NBA team in October since 2017-2018 to aid in your Tennessee sports betting. No games were played in October during the 2020-21 NBA season.
NBA Team Records in October Since 2017-18
Tennessee betting apps list Boston and Milwaukee as the NBA title favorites at +400.
Grizzlies Rank No. 11 in October Games
Memphis ranks just outside the top 10 with a winning percentage of .567 and a record of 17-13 in those five seasons, including a 4-3 mark to start the 2022-23 season. The Grizzlies will have four games this October and the good thing is three will be in the friendly confines of the FedExForum in Memphis.
After the season opener at home with the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 25, the Grizzlies face a tough back-to-back with defending NBA champion Denver at home on Oct. 27 before traveling to meet Washington on Oct. 28. Memphis will close the month back home against Dallas on Oct. 30. BetMGM Tennessee has the Grizzlies as a 1.5-point favorite with a -125 moneyline in its season opener against New Orleans. Before you place a wager, I always recommend checking out additional betting sites like ESPN BET Tennessee to make sure you're getting the best possible odds.
Morant won’t be eligible to return until Dec. 23 as the Grizzlies start a four-game road trip in Atlanta that also includes games at New Orleans, Denver and Los Angeles for the Clippers. He was suspended for a second social media video where he was waving a gun around, and he had served an eight-game suspension for the first instance. Without Morant, the Grizzlies will rely on Marcus Smart, a trade acquisition from Boston before the draft. He’ll man the point guard position while Morant is away, and the team hopes he’ll be a leader the young superstar can follow upon his return.
Memphis also has first-time All-Star center Jaren Jackson Jr., the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, to lean on while trying to get off to a good start without Morant. Jackson led the league in blocks for a second straight year, and he averaged career highs of 18.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 63 games last year. Shooting guard Desmond Bane is the Grizzlies’ other young star who put up career-best numbers in his third season last year. He averaged 21.5 points, five rebounds and 4.4 assists and was rewarded with a five-year, $207 million extension.
If that trio can start off working well together, find some victories early in October, Memphis figures to be a strong team again once Morant returns. Then they’ll seek to take the next step as a franchise after going 51-31 to finish second in the Western Conference before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs in 2023.
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