Grizzlies vs. Nuggets: Odds, 3 Player Props, and Best Bet for Friday, April 11

Friday’s schedule will be headlined by a potential Western Conference first-round preview when the seventh-seeded Memphis Grizzlies (47-33) head west to take on the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets (48-32).

With two games remaining on their schedule, one game separates the Nuggets and Grizzlies in the Western Conference standings. They are a part of a logjam featuring the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves as all five teams have nearly identical records.

With these high stakes, can Denver solidify their playoff position on Friday night and possibly overtake the Los Angeles Lakers for the third seed? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our three favorite NBA player prop bets for this important contest.

Denver Nuggets C Nikola Jokic UNDER 53.5 Pts + Reb + Ast

It’s easy to see why Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is being considered for his fourth MVP award this year. His averages are third in the league in scoring (29.8), second in rebounding (12.8), and second in assists (10.2), making him an odds-on favorite to recapture that award.

Although he hasn’t played the Grizzlies this season, Jokic has a history of under-producing his eye-popping stats against the squad. Last year, he finished with 50 or fewer combined points, rebounds, and assists in all four meetings. Expect a similar result tonight as he’ll fail to cover this player prop bet.

Memphis Grizzlies PG Ja Morant OVER 2.5 3-Point Field Goals

Memphis guard Ja Morant is prepared for a postseason run. Since the calendar month changed, Morant has averaged 32.5 points per game while also collecting 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds during his team’s four contests.

In April, Morant has been on a roll from behind the three-point line. The 6-foot-2 star has made 17 trifectas while shooting 44.7 percent from long range. Expect him to continue this trend against Denver, especially if Nuggets guard Jamal Murray doesn’t play due to recovering from a hamstring injury.

Denver Nuggets SF Michael Porter Jr. OVER 18.5 Points

While injuries have hampered multiple members of the Denver Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. isn’t one of those players. The sixth-year veteran has played in 75 games this season, the second-most among full-time starters for the Nuggets. He’s averaging the fourth-highest minutes among his teammates, showing his durability.

With Murray doubtful again tonight, bettors should take the over on his points prop bet. Porter has been scoring more points for his team without his point guard on the floor. In the team’s last five outings, the small forward has scored 20.4 points in those games, an increase from his typical 18.3 points average.

Best Bet: Denver (-7)

The Memphis Grizzlies have won three consecutive road games, albeit against teams in the Eastern Conference. Heading into Denver and pulling off this mild upset wouldn’t be a shock, but it would certainly be unexpected. The Grizzlies have a path to hosting a home playoff game despite sitting in eighth currently, meaning they’ll be motivated to win.

Denver’s move to fire head coach Michael Malone was shocking, but – at least for one night – a move that may have been needed. The Nuggets responded with a strong road victory over Sacramento, and the organization needs to win to ensure home-court advantage in the first round. Take Denver to cover the spread in this contest.