Celtics vs. Grizzlies Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Monday, March 31

It’s been a wild few days for the Memphis Grizzlies, who have slipped to the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and fired head coach Taylor Jenkins on Friday.

Now, Memphis has a tough matchup at home against the Boston Celtics, who have won eight games in a row and are making a push for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Memphis is coming off a loss in Ja Morant’s return to the lineup against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, while the C’s won by double digits against the San Antonio Spurs.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my game prediction for Monday’s matchup.

Celtics vs. Grizzlies Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Celtics -5 (-105)
Grizzlies +5 (-115)

Moneyline

Celtics: -205
Grizzlies: +170

Total

235.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Celtics vs. Grizzlies How to Watch

Date: Monday, March 31
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Venue: FedExForum
How to Watch (TV): TNT
Celtics record: 55-19
Grizzlies record: 44-30

Celtics vs. Grizzlies Injury Reports

Celtics Injury Report

Jaylen Brown – questionable
JD Davison – out
Miles Norris – out
Drew Peterson – out

Grizzlies Injury Report

Brandon Clarke – out
Zyon Pullin – out

Celtics vs. Grizzlies Best NBA Prop Bets

Boston Celtics Best NBA Prop Bet

Jaylen Brown OVER 4.5 Rebounds (-125)

If he plays, I like Brown in this rebound prop against a Memphis team that loves to push the pace.

Brown is averaging 5.9 rebounds per game, and he had picked up five or more boards in 10 straight games before failing to clear this line in each of his last three appearances. The C’s have been doing some wonky stuff with their rotation, whether it’s sitting guys out entirely or limiting minutes, but this line is a little low for a game against another relay-caliber team.

Memphis Grizzlies Best NBA Prop Bet

Ja Morant OVER 6.5 Assists (-130)

This is another prop line that I’m surprised by, as Morant is averaging 7.5 assists per game and has at least seven dimes in eight of his last 10 games.

Boston does do a good jon limiting opponent assists per night, but Morant had no issue against the C’s earlier this season, dropping nine dimes in a Grizzlies win.

Celtics vs. Grizzlies Prediction and Pick

Do you want to know the last time the Grizzlies beat a team that was over .500?

It was Feb. 2 (!!) against the Milwaukee Bucks.

We’re about to turn the calendar to April, and this Memphis team has been struggling mightily over the last two months, a key reason why Taylor Jenkins was fired. Now, the Grizzlies are home dogs – a spot that they’re just 2-3 against the spread in – on Monday against the defending champs.

Boston is rolling right now, winning 13 of its last 15 games, and it actually is fairly healthy on Monday with only Brown being listed on the injury report.

Over each of these teams’ last 10 games, Boston is third in net rating while Memphis is 15th.

I think this is a no-brainer to back the C’s, especially if Brown suits up.

Pick: Celtics -5 (-105 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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