The Desperation Derby: Kings and Grizzlies Limp into Memphis

It's been a tough November for both the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies, but for FedExForum faithful tonight, at least one losing streak is sure to come to an end. Tonight is no big showdown—the fight is to simply exist for each team somewhere deep within the Western Conference playoff hunt. Sacramento is falling apart at 3-12 overall and having lost its last seven contests. Memphis is hardly any better at 4-11 overall and is now on its fifth consecutive loss heading to nowhere fast.

Memphis is just like a hospital ward at this point. It looks like reading a novel to go through all the injuries on the team: Ja Morant is still out because of his calf strain, Clarke is also out, and Jaren Jackson is doubtful—there just isn’t much depth here at all. The lone shining beacon is at least that Zach Edey is playing again. Since his ankle surgery, Edey has been careful to limit his minutes to 25 or so per game for the last two outings because his giant presence is really all that is preventing others from just driving to the basket at will.

Sacramento is squarely having an identity crisis right now. They have been brutal on the road (1-7) this season and their offense looks like it's just going through the motions now during this skid. Both teams are expecting to hit rock bottom tonight as it should be one ugly game all the way to the final minutes until one team makes just enough catastrophic errors to lose.

Odds, Ends, and The Pick

The books give the home team a very small edge, making Memphis the 3-point favorite. The total is 235, which seems high given how bad both offenses have been. However, it could be a sign of the defensive breakdown that is about to happen. It's hard to believe either side right now, but Memphis at home just seems more stable than Sacramento on the road.  

The Kings haven't covered in five of their last six games, but Memphis should get just enough energy from its fans at FedExForum to win. Our prediction: Grizzlies 118, Kings 112