3rd Quarter Report
Only one more quarter stands between the Bulls and the victory they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Grizzlies 86-69.
If the Bulls keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 21-23 in no time. On the other hand, the Grizzlies will have to make due with a 15-27 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Memphis Grizzlies @ Chicago Bulls
Current Records: Memphis 15-26, Chicago 20-23
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: United Center — Chicago, Illinois
- TV: Bally Sports SouthEast Memphis
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $65.00
What to Know
The Grizzlies and the Bulls are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2019, but not for long. The Memphis Grizzlies will head out on the road to face off against the Chicago Bulls at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at United Center. The Grizzlies are expected to lose this one by 7.5 points, so we’ll see if that gives them a bit of motivation.
Last Thursday, Memphis lost to Minnesota on the road by a decisive 118-103 margin. The Grizzlies have struggled against the Timberwolves recently, as their match on Thursday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Jaren Jackson Jr. put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored 36 points.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn’t a dominant performance, Chicago beat Toronto 116-110 on Thursday.
Among those leading the charge was Nikola Vucevic, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 14 rebounds. He is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he’s now pulled down ten or more in the last three games he’s played.
Memphis’ defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 15-26. As for Chicago, their victory bumped their record up to 20-23.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Grizzlies haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 13.7 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like the Bulls (currently ranked fifth in turnovers per game) struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 11.8 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Grizzlies might still be hurting after the devastating 128-107 loss they got from the Bulls when the teams last played back in April of 2023. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, who scored 36 points along with nine assists. Now that the Grizzlies know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check CBSSports.com after the match to find out.
Odds
Chicago is a big 7.5-point favorite against Memphis, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 7.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is set at 218.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Chicago and Memphis both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Apr 02, 2023 – Chicago 128 vs. Memphis 107
- Feb 07, 2023 – Memphis 104 vs. Chicago 89
- Feb 26, 2022 – Memphis 116 vs. Chicago 110
- Jan 17, 2022 – Memphis 119 vs. Chicago 106
- Apr 16, 2021 – Memphis 126 vs. Chicago 115
- Apr 12, 2021 – Memphis 101 vs. Chicago 90
- Dec 04, 2019 – Chicago 106 vs. Memphis 99
- Oct 25, 2019 – Chicago 110 vs. Memphis 102
- Feb 27, 2019 – Chicago 109 vs. Memphis 107
- Feb 13, 2019 – Chicago 122 vs. Memphis 110
