Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction 4/20/25 NBA Picks

Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14) vs Memphis Grizzlies (48-34)

Game Info: Sunday, April 20, 2025 at 1:00 pm (Paycom Center)

Betting Odds: Oklahoma City Thunder -13.5 -- Over/Under: 228 Click Here for the Latest Odds

Where to Watch: ABC

The Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder collide in Game 1 at the Paycom Center on Sunday afternoon. Here’s a Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction. This article will include a Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder Pick.
 

Memphis Grizzlies Betting Preview

The Memphis Grizzlies stumbled their way into the postseason as they lost nine of their last 13 games in the regular season. But with their season on the line, the Grizzlies were good enough to run past the Mavericks in a crucial 120-106 win on Friday. Jaren Jackson Jr led the team with 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane each scored 22 points while Zach Edey chipped in with 15 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.

As a team, the Grizzlies shot 47 percent from the field and 13 of 31 from the 3-point line as they stormed out of the gates with 39 points in the first quarter to take a 17-point lead into halftime. This was more than enough to hold off the Mavericks who cut the lead to seven points at one stage. The Grizzlies didn't get much support from their bench players with Santi Aldama the only reserve who scored more than six points. Luckily, the Grizzlies were able to get Morant back in action after it looked like he could sit out with that ankle injury. 

Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been sitting pretty for weeks now as they clinched the top seed in the Western Conference with 13 games left to play in the regular season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with averages of 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Jalen Williams averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. Chet Holmgren played just 32 games but averaged 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.

Isaiah Hartenstein played 57 games and averaged 11.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. As a team, the Thunder scored 120.5 points per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from the 3-point line, but the strength of their success has clearly been their league-best defense.

Why the Oklahoma City Thunder will win

  • The Thunder have won each of their last 11 games following a road win.
  • The Grizzlies have lost each of their last 11 games as underdogs against Northwest Division opponents following a win.
  • The Thunder have covered the spread in each of their last 11 games at Paycom Center against Grizzlies teams that held a winning record.
  • The Grizzlies have failed to cover the spread in each of their last eight games when playing with a rest disadvantage.

Why the Memphis Grizzlies will win

  • The Thunder have lost each of their last two playoff games as favorites against Western Conference opponents following a win.
  • The Grizzlies have won each of their last four day games.
  • The road team has covered the spread in four of the Thunder's last five playoff games.
  • The Thunder have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five Western Conference First Round games as home favorites against Southwest Division opponents following a win.

Oklahoma City Thunder Player Facts

  • Isaiah Joe ranks 3rd amongst qualified players for three-pointers made per 36 minutes (4.3) this season.
  • Jalen Williams ranks 7th amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.6) this season.

Memphis Grizzlies Player Facts

  • Desmond Bane ranks 8th amongst qualified players for FT% (89.4%) this season.
  • Zach Edey ranks 8th amongst qualified players for rebounds per 36 minutes (13.9) this season.

Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction

The Grizzlies are still missing Brandon Clarke, GG Jackson and Jaylen Wells, while the Thunder are still missing Ousmane Dieng and Nikola Topic. These teams met four times in the regular season, with the Thunder winning all four games by an average of 19.2 points, so it's not surprising at all to see the Thunder so heavily favored at home. There's always a chance that the Thunder come out a little rusty after such a lengthy layoff, but they can always rely on their defense. I think that will be more than enough to get a big win in the series opener.

Peter’s Pick Oklahoma City -13.5

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The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

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