Grizzlies vs Pelicans

Ja Morant and Zion Williamson will finally meet as stars on playoff teams this New Year's Eve.

[Zion](https://www.si.com/nba/pelicans) Williamson and Ja Morant from sharing the biggest of NBA stages together. Memphis enters the game having made less than 10 three-pointers in four of their last six games, going 2-4 over the last two weeks. The Grizzlies had won the previous seven games before this most recent cold stretch. Still, this showcase is all about the two stars that already have their own Nike-branded shoe lines. [Brandon Ingram](https://www.si.com/nba/pelicans) (toe) are still listed on the injury report for New Orleans. The former AAU teammates will get that chance to cap off a great year for both franchises.

The Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans are facing off for the third time this season. Follow along for live updates.

McCollum and Zion Williamson also missed one of the previous two meetings, but both are expected to play. [held him to 14 points in the last meeting. Over the past two weeks, the Pelicans have built more of their offense around him, and most opponents haven't had an answer. Each team has won one of the previous matchups. The Grizzlies (21-13) have Desmond Bane back in the lineup after he missed both meetings. Lineups are expected to look slightly different than the previous meetings on both sides.

NBA odds, picks, and predictions for the New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies on December 31. NBA betting best bet and free pick analysis.

Memphis has played 18-15-1 to the Under this season, the third-highest Under rate in the league (45.5%). The Pels have gone Over in seven of their last eight but tonight's total marks the highest total of the season for them. After making some appreciable noise in last year's playoffs despite [Zion Williamson](https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/nba/players/124377/zion-williamson)'s absence, the Pelicans are off to a 23-12 start. Memphis is 16-16-2 against the spread this season but has gone 9-4-1 against the spread as home favorites. New Orleans is 21-14 to the Over, the second-highest rate of Overs in the league. The Pelicans are 19-16 against the spread this year, good for the ninth-best record. Willie Green has put together a cohesive unit, with the Pelicans ranking eighth in assist rate despite possessing a litany of scorers (Zion, Between Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall, and Dyson Daniels, any of the five are capable of stepping in on any given night. Two of the top teams in the West will face off on New Year's Eve when Zion Williamson and the conference-leading New Orleans Pelicans travel to take on Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. New Orleans has covered in four of its last five but has failed to cover in the four prior to that. It wasn't until Bane's return on December 23 that the three had played a game together this season. On one hand, there is the

The Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans should be in line for a high-scoring game on Saturday given their history and scoring trends this season.

The Pelicans have the No. Memphis ranks 10th in the league in pace, one spot above New Orleans (11th). It’s an impressive streak, especially since the Pels have been without Brandon Ingram (toe) since Nov. The Pelicans are 21-14 on OVERs this season, and they’ve hit the over in three of their four games that were a second leg of a back-to-back this season. Pelicans vs. 1 spot in the Western Conference entering this game, beating the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night for their fifth consecutive victory.

Dillon Brooks dealt with foul trouble, Ja Morant briefly left the game in the third quarter and Steven Adams was slow to his feet after former Grizzlies center ...

The Grizzlies are 1-1 against the Kings this season. The Grizzlies won't have much time to rest. banked one in at the end of the shot clock early in the fourth quarter to give the Grizzlies a seven-point lead. When Brooks had to switch off of Williamson, he scored 10 points in the third quarter. He had six points before Brooks picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter. None of that was enough to keep the Grizzlies down. He looked up and displayed a sigh of relief after getting the shot to fall. Ziaire Williams was ruled out of Saturday's during the first quarter due to right knee soreness. Konchar scored eight points off the bench. 3 seed in the West behind the Pelicans (23-13) and Nuggets, but Saturday's win closed the gap. The 3-point struggles didn't stop the Grizzlies. Dillon Brooks dealt with foul trouble, Ja Morant briefly left the game in the third quarter and Steven Adams was slow to his feet after former Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas hit him in the hip area during a collision.