NBA Playoffs 2020: Bracket, Standings, Odds, Predictions For Blazers-Grizzlies Play-In Tournament Game

The 2020 NBA Playoffs begin with the Memphis Grizzlies taking on the Portland Trail Blazers in the first ever play-in round tournament that will determine the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. The Blazers finished the abbreviated 2020 NBA season with the eighth-best record in the conference, going 35-39 overall and 6-2 in the seeding games held at the Orlando bubble, and now need just one victory to secure a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers. The Grizzlies, who were sitting at No. 8 seed prior to the campaign restart and finished the year with a 34-39 record, haven’t fared nearly as well since the action shifted to the ESPN Wide World of Sports campus at Walt Disney World, winning just two of their eight contests. Memphis still has a chance to earn a spot in the 2020 NBA Playoff bracket, however, but will need to win twice in two days against Portland to make it happen.

Oddsmakers believe that the Blazers will eliminate the Grizzlies on Saturday and crystallize the NBA playoff picture with a win, installing Portland as six-point favorites for the first—and potentially only—game of the play-in round. Memphis has its back to the wall and is facing a win-or-go-home scenario, but sportsbooks indicate the club only has an approximate 29% chance to force a winner-take-all showdown based on the Grizzlies +245 odds on the moneyline. The public is not buying Memphis as a contender, with only 41% of bets against the spread and 31% of moneyline wagers backing the underdog. The sharp bettors do think the Grizzlies have a good chance at keeping things close, evidenced by 52% of the total cash wagered on the spread being on the Memphis side. The over/under for the opening 2020 NBA Playoffs matchup is currently hovering around 233 points, which would be well below the total these teams landed on when they last played at the beginning of the 2020 NBA season restart in late July.

The Blazers picked up what would end up being a critical victory in that matchup, outgunning the Grizzlies in overtime by a score of 140-135. Portland star Damian Lillard was his usual clutch self in the contest, scoring 29 points in total, 11 of which came in an extra period where the rest of his squad only accounted for five. C.J. McCollum, Lillard’s backcourt mate, was also instrumental in that “W” as the guard piled in 33 points on 14-of-21 shooting against an overmatched Memphis perimeter defense. The Grizzlies were able to stay competitive thanks to a sterling performance from emerging second-year talent Jaren Jackson Jr., who matched McCollum’s game-high with 33 points of his own. Unfortunately for Memphis, the club will be forced to go without the talented forward in today’s rematch. Jackson was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in Memphis’ third seeding game when he landed awkwardly after taking a contested shot, suffering an injury that ended his season. It is a huge loss for an organization that isn’t exactly loaded with depth and will need to dig deep to find enough scoring power to hang with this explosive Blazers unit that averaged 115 points per game during the 2019-20 NBA season.

If you are looking to start off the 2020 NBA Playoffs with a winning bet, you’ve come to the right place. Pro handicapper Jon Price of SportsInformationTraders.com has provided his predictions for the first game of the play-in round and you will not want to miss who the Vegas expert is picking to win today. Before getting to Price’s take, have a peek at the complete viewing guide to the matchup, which includes the full schedule, tip-off start time, TV channel, live stream, latest odds and more. You can also find the final standings, bracket and series overview for the NBA Playoffs 2020.

2020 NBA Playoffs – Play-in Round Viewing Guide

Game 1

When: Saturday, Aug. 15

Start Time: 2:30 p.m. ET

Watch (TV): ABC

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Spread: Trail Blazers -6

Total: Over/Under 233 points

Moneyline: Trail Blazers -275 (73.3% implied probability), Grizzlies +245 (29% implied probability)

Game 2 (If Necessary)

When: Sunday, Aug. 16

Start Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

Watch (TV): ABC

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Odds: TBD

All 2020 NBA Playoff games will be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida

NBA Standings

Eastern Conference

1. Milwaukee Bucks (56-17)
2. Toronto Raptors (53-19)
3. Boston Celtics (48-24)
4. Indiana Pacers (45-28)
5. Miami Heat (44-29)
6. Philadelphia 76ers (43-30)
7. Brooklyn Nets (35-37)
8. Orlando Magic (33-40)
9. Washington Wizards (25-47)

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Lakers (52-19)
2. Los Angeles Clippers (49-23)
3. Denver Nuggets (46-27)
4. Houston Rockets (44-28)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (44-28)
6. Utah Jazz (44-28)
7. Dallas Mavericks (43-32)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (35-39)
9. Memphis Grizzlies (34-39)
10. Phoenix Suns (34-39)
11. San Antonio Spurs (32-39)
12. Sacramento Kings (31-41)
13. New Orleans Pelicans (30-42)

2020 NBA Playoff Bracket And Series Matchups

Eastern Conference

(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (8) Orlando Magic

(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (7) Brooklyn Nets

(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers

(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Miami Heat

Western Conference

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers/Memphis Grizzlies

(2) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks

(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Utah Jazz

(4) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Oklahoma City Thunder

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies Play-In Tournament Preview And Prediction

All eyes will be on Damian Lillard when he takes the floor to start the NBA Playoffs, as the 30-year-old guard has been nothing short of electrifying since the 2020 NBA season restart began. Lillard nearly single-handedly guided Portland to the No. 8 seed in the West after the club started 3.5 games back from the Grizzlies going into the bubble. He has averaged a ridiculous 37.6 points on 49.7% field goal shooting and 43.6% three-point shooting while also chipping 9.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game since play began at the ESPN Wide World of Sports campus. Dame has come through for the Blazers when it has mattered most, recently willing the team to victory in a must-win regular season finale matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. Lillard put up 42 points in total, hitting big shot after big shot to overcome a 104-97 deficit to start the fourth quarter and now has his Blazers needing just a single win to advance into the 2020 NBA Playoff bracket, where a matchup with the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers awaits.

Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn heaped praise on the Blazers star after the sterling season finale showing (via ESPN):

We gave him the full boat tonight. What a compliment. What a player. He’s changing the game — the ability to cross half-court and shoot the basketball with ease and accuracy. You give him a lot of credit

ESPN Stats & Info noted that Lillard made history with his string of 40-plus point performances to close out the regular season:

The Grizzlies were fortunate to have some leeway going into the NBA restart, as they needed all of it to retain even a chance at making it to the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. The club has looked out of sync for many of the seeding games, winning just twice in eight tries and desperately needing to turn things around today to avoid being sent packing from the Orlando bubble. Memphis’ best shot at upsetting its favored foe lies with first-year sensation Ja Morant, the point guard who is likely to be named Rookie of the Year for his incredible season after being taken No. 2 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Morant’s presence has transformed the Grizzlies into a fast-paced and dangerous contender when they are at their best and his individual stat line—17.8 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game—while impressive, doesn’t show the full impact he’s had since being drafted. The 21-year-old is the engine driving a squad that is punching above its weight class, getting Memphis within two wins of making the playoffs with a roster that still has plenty of holes and room to improve. Morant has done all this on the heels of an abysmal two-year stretch in which the Grizz compiled a 55-109 record, finishing near the bottom of the standings in both seasons. It’s been a significant turnaround for the organization, one that will be even more impressive if the team is able to usurp Portland for the No. 8 seed in the West during this play-in tournament.

Rashad Phillips pointed out that both Morant and Lillard have taken the NBA by storm despite coming from mid-major colleges:

If Memphis is going to defy the odds this weekend, it will need to take advantage of a weak Blazers defense that has been exploited regularly during the campaign. Portland ranks No. 27 in the league in adjusted defense and has allowed the fifth-most points to opponents this year, conceding an average of 116.1 points per game, the most of any team to make the 2020 NBA Playoffs field. While the Grizzlies did lose the most recent matchup against this opponent, they put up a hefty 135 points in the overtime loss. They have also proven they can beat this Portland squad, picking up a 111-104 victory back in February. One player to keep an eye on is Grizzlies rookie Brandon Clarke, who has had two of his best performances as a pro when playing the Trail Blazers. Clarke, the No. 21 overall pick out of Gonzaga, has averaged an extraordinary 24 points on 86.4% shooting from the field against Portland and will be an x-factor for his side on Saturday. If Clarke can get going right after the tip-off, the Grizzlies should be able to work the offense around him and settle into a rhythm quickly. It’s important for an inexperienced group like Memphis to find a comfort level early and start making shots in a postseason contest, as the Blazers have the capability to put the game out of reach quickly thanks to their high-octane offense.

Keep an eye on Carmelo Anthony too, the aging veteran who still seems to have something left in the tank as he winds down his 18^th season as a pro. Melo, who started at power forward for most of the 2019-2020 campaign, switched to small forward during the NBA’s hiatus and has played well since making the move. The future Hall of Famer has averaged 16.5 points while shooting 45.6% from the field and 46.9% from beyond the arc across Portland’s eight seeding games, percentages which have notably improved from the 42.6% FG and 37.1% 3PT marks he put up while averaging 15.3 points during the first 50 games of the season.  The team is clearly better when Melo is making shots, going 21-10 when he’s connecting on 40% or better from the field and 7-20 when he’s below that figure. With head coach Terry Stotts admitting that C.J. McCollum isn’t 100% due to a back injury he has been nursing, the Blazers will likely rely on Anthony more than usual to provide scoring during the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

Price says it could be closer than the betting odds indicate, but the Blazers will secure their place on the No. 8 line in the West portion of the 2020 NBA Playoff bracket with a win today. Portland has advantages in both the experience and talent departments, giving the club a clear edge over an upstart Grizzlies squad. The situation may not be as desperate for the Trail Blazers given they have two cracks at securing a victory in the play-in tournament format, but they should be able to close out Memphis without needing a second game. Lillard is arguably the hottest player in the league right now and his teammates have the confidence they can put this opponent away for the second time in just over two weeks. Don’t expect Memphis to go down without a fight, however, as they should keep things interesting and cover the spread in a high-scoring affair that goes over the total.

Spread Pick: Grizzlies +6

Total Pick: Over

Prediction: Trail Blazers 121 – Grizzlies 117