Memphis is going to struggle to score in against closeout Golden State defense, but at the same time, Memphis is a far better defensive team without Morant. I like that combo against a fairly high total.

The Warriors edged out the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies by three points on Monday, but Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green combined for 30 points on 32.3 percent shooting. The Dubs' sharpshooters should bounce back with a chance to finish Memphis. Steph Curry boasts career playoff averages of 28.7 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.6 assists in closeout games. I expect his dominance to open things up for his teammates and help the visitors cover.

The Golden State Warriors may have the same big names from their past playoff runs, but on the court they have not looked the part. With the Grizzlies minus Ja Morant, they still showcased a solid effort in the Game 4 defeat. In a potential close-out game, look for another big effort, as the Grizzlies hang around with the Warriors once again. Take Memphis.

The Grizzlies went 20-6 without Ja Morant this season, and three of the losses were in meaningless late-season games after clinching. They had the Warriors on the ropes in Game 4 in San Francisco with a tenacious defensive effort that gave the Warriors trouble. They know they can do it again Game 4 came down to Golden State getting more calls and 11 more free throws made. The Warriors are1-5 ATS in their last six games. Take the points with Memphis.

The Warriors held off an upset by the Grizzlies in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in this series. Things now shift back to Memphis, but the Grizzlies will once again have to play without Ja Morant (knee). Tyus Jones is one of the best backup point guards in the league, and the Grizzlies have a lot of depth, but I expect the Warriors to take care of business with a win to give them some added rest before the Western Conference Finals. If forced to choose a side of the spread, I think the Warriors cover, but I feel more comfortable paying the juice and taking them on the moneyline.

Kudos to the Grizzlies for nearly upsetting the Warriors in Game 4, but I think that was Memphis' last stand without Ja Morant, who clearly is not coming to the rescue in Game 5 on Wednesday. Some teams you might worry take a 3-1 lead for granted and perhaps have a letdown in a matchup like this on the road, but not the veteran Warriors. They went to get this done and rest up for the Suns or Mavericks -- after all, the Dubs do have a history of star players getting hurt/suspended in the playoffs. It doesn't much matter that Steve Kerr likely will be out again due to COVID. Fill-in and next Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown is 14-0 as acting playoff coach for the Warriors when Kerr has been out over the years (technically, the record stays with Kerr).