Free Pick | NBA | Thursday | Jan. 30

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#528 Memphis Grizzlies -4.5 over Houston Rockets 8:30 PM CT

Houston is on a roll, now up to 32-14 for a breakthrough season. The late January run has included two wins over Cleveland and a win over Boston and then surviving in Atlanta playing on consecutive nights for a 4-0 run. This is a fourth straight road game and a 10th road game since in the past 13 games for Houston for a taxing run. It doesn’t get easier facing Memphis tonight in a third road game in four days while the Rockets have one home game this weekend before four more road tests. Houston is 3-0 vs. Memphis this season as this should be a huge game for the Grizzlies who are just 1.5 games behind the Rockets in the Western Conference standings. The 19-5 S/U mark at home for Memphis is the third best home record in the NBA as well. Memphis also enters this game off a humiliating loss on Monday, losing 143-106 in New York to snap a six-game winning streak. Marcus Smart remains out while Ja Morant is a question mark but presumably, he will try to suit up with two days off after playing 27 minutes on Monday. Alperen Sengun has played in all 46 games this season, but he has arrived on the injury report this week for Houston with a calf issue and with Steven Adams likely still out, and Jabari Smith recently having surgery the front court could be thin for Houston. The Rockets are 6-2-1 ATS as a road underdog this season as Houston is tough to fade as a healthy underdog after the team won outright while similarly priced in Cleveland and Boston in the team’s last two road games, but this is a Memphis team that is 15-7 ATS playing as a home favorite, even while often a significant favorite.