L.A. Lakers At Memphis
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Time Warner Cable SportsNet (Los Angeles), SportSouth (Memphis)
Prediction: Grizzlies 95, Lakers 88

Oddsmakers currently have the Grizzlies listed as 5½-point favorites versus the Lakers, while the game’s total is sitting at 193.

With turmoil plaguing the team for most of the season, Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant decided to take a break from present-day happenings and focus on the past. The future Hall of Famer celebrated Tuesday’s seventh anniversary of his 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors by watching the game in its entirety for the first time. As a treat to fans, he broke in his relatively new Twitter account by sending out messages while the game was being re-broadcast. Bryant may need to channel some of his 2006 performance Wednesday as he faces off against a Memphis club allowing the second-fewest points per game in the league (89.4)

Los Angeles lost its last outing, a 95-83 result against the Bulls on January 21. The Lakers failed to cover in that game as a 1-point favorite, while the 178 combined points took the game UNDER the total.

Team record: 17-24 SU, 16-25 ATS
Current streak: lost 3 straight games.

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of the LA Lakers last 8 games on the road
LA Lakers are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games when playing on the road against Memphis
LA Lakers are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games when playing Memphis

When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing Utah are 7-3
After playing Chicago are 7-3
After a loss are 3-7

Memphis made a minor move Tuesday, dealing Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, Josh Selby and a heavily protected future draft pick to the Cavaliers for forward Jon Leuer and a trade exception. The deal was conducted with business in mind – it saves the Grizzlies $6 million against the salary cap and eliminates the need to pay a luxury tax bill of roughly $4 million. “It’s a trade that had to be made … so that we can keep our core together and we move forward,” Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I hate to lose Mo and Wayne and Josh but it’s part of the business of basketball.”

Last time out for Memphis, they were an 82-81 loser as they battled the Pacers at home. The Grizzlies failed to cover in the match as a 6-point favorite, while 163 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 26-14 SU, 23-16-1 ATS

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games at home
is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games when playing at home against LA Lakers

When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
Before playing Brooklyn are 4-6
After playing Indiana are 6-4
After a loss are 5-5

The post Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

While New England was in the process of defeating the Houston Texans on Sunday to set up an AFC Championship Game rematch with Baltimore, Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo ripped the Patriots on Twitter, particularly criticizing their no-huddle offense.

“New England does some suspect stuff on offense. Can’t really respect it. Comparable to a cheap shot b4 a fight,” Ayanbadejo tweeted.

Ayanbadejo will get an opportunity to see New England’s offense in person next Sunday when the Ravens visit the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive season. New England won last year’s meeting, 23-20, thanks to a missed field goal by Baltimore’s Billy Cundiff as time expired.

The Patriots gained 457 yards of total offense in Sunday’s 41-28 victory over the Texans, as Tom Brady passed for 344 yards while orchestrating a hurry-up offense that confounded Houston throughout the contest.

But Ayanbadejo was unimpressed, referring to the Patriots’ approach as “a gimmick.”

“Are you watching the game pats vs texans?” Ayanbadejo tweeted. “If so you see the hurry snap offense catch em b4 they set up. It’s a gimmick.”

He later tweeted: “Their offense is good enough to be successful with out that.”

Ayanbadejo proceeded to make a critical reference to the Spygate scandal and Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s decision to cut wide receiver Tiquan Underwood one day before Super Bowl XLVI.

SN: AFC Championship Game

SportsNation For the second straight year, the Patriots and Ravens meet with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Which team is headed to New Orleans? Cast your vote!

“You know the same organization that did spygate and cut a guy the day b4 the Super Bowl,” he tweeted.

Ayanbadejo also referred to the Patriots’ 2007 season, when they completed the only 16-0 regular season in NFL history but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

“18-1,” he tweeted.

The Ravens rallied past the Patriots for a 31-30 victory in Week 3 this season. Ayanbadejo, who did not record a tackle in that contest, posted several tweets stating that he “Can’t Wait!” for the latest rematch between the rivals.

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