Oklahoma City at Memphis

The Oklahoma Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies have played four straight games decided by overtime. This series should have been over a long time ago, as Oklahoma City is the better team here by a considerable margin. All do respect to Memphis and their defense, but holding Oklahoma City to under 40% shooting as well as under 29% fom deep, is not just their defense. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have just had poor shooting variance in addition to the defense against them. They have combined to shoot 94-253 in this series, just 37.2% as well as a ridiculous 19-80 from deep at 18.4%. No defense does that to the caliber of players involved in this series. It may be expected of them to shoot below their season average but not this bad. If you consider that the two games played in Memphis the average points scored has been 165, well below the total in regulation minutes. If you consider that Westbrook and Durant hit 40% from the field, and 30% from 3, both numbers are well below their season average, it adds 14 points to the Oklahoma City offense! That still leaves this game well shy of the total posted. With so much on the line, I expect Oklahoma City continues and steps-up the defensive pressure against a Memphis team that likes to play slow and in the half court. Memphis struggles for points to begin with, and has in this series as well. I don't expect the Oklahoma City's dynamic duo to have a great shooting game, but I do expect them to out-perform the numbers they have put up through five games. And with four games ending in a dead-heat in regulation, including the two here in Memphis it will not take much to put them over the top and get the cover as well. We are looking at minimal improvement to make a huge difference in the outcome, and an aggressive defense at the onset. Take the tri-fecta in this one and play Oklahoma City, the first half UNDER and the full game UNDER.