Is Deni Avdija Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Blazers vs. Grizzlies)

Portland Trail Blazers wing Deni Avdija has been dealing with a back injury during the 2025-26 season, and he's missed the team's last four games with the issue.

Avdija played less than a minute back on Feb. 22 before he was lifted due to his back injury, and he's been listed as out for four games in a row due to "low back injury management." Now, Portland has upgraded the All-Star forward to questionable ahead of Wednesday night's matchup with the tanking Memphis Grizzlies.

Memphis is coming off a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, and it's set as an 8.5-point underdog at home in the latest odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Grizzlies have been dealing with a bunch of injuries themselves, so it makes sense that the play-in bound Blazers are favored in this matchup.

Portland currently holds the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference, and it has dropped back-to-back games with Avdija out. Portland is just 6-8 in the 14 games that the All-Star wing has missed this season.

Avdija was traded to Portland from Washington before the 2024-25 season, and he's blossomed into an impressive scorer in an expanded role. This season, he's averaging 24.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from 3.

The Blazers are in a great spot to earn a play-in tournament berth, but their only real chance to make the playoffs will be if Avdija is healthy. Avdija has played in just eight games since Jan. 13 due to his back injury, so it's possible Portland could still hold him out on Wednesday.

This story will be updated with Avdija's official status for Blazers-Grizzlies on March 4.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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