NBA Basketball
2026-02-25 - Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NBA Basketball
Wednesday 25th February 2026 - Scheduled 7:30pm
12:30pm (British Time)
Preview
Earlier this season, it really felt the Golden State Warriors (30-28) could push all of their chips in and try and build a roster around Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler to win another NBA Championship. They would have certainly been thinking about that with the trades that could be made, but injuries have decimated the season.
Jimmy Butler is out for the rest of the season and Steph Curry has not played this month, which has contributed to the Warriors slipping away from the top six in the Western Conference.
At this stage, the Play In Tournament is going to be a significant obstacle to overcome and that would also likely mean a First Round Playoff Series with either the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder. No matter who they would face, the Warriors would be a significant underdog.
They have only won one of the last four games, but the Warriors were short-handed in the defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. One or two bodies can strengthen their chances in this one and there will be no sympathy for the lack of bodies for the roster from the Memphis Grizzlies (21-35).
Trades made earlier this month suggested the Grizzlies had given up on the season, but they have really been hurt by the multiple injured players on the roster. The real issue has been the lack of height as the Grizzlies have been dominated on the glass and that has led to six losses in seven games as the regular season cannot end quickly enough.
None of those players that could contribute on the boards are going to be available, while Ja Morant's fall from grace in the NBA has been hard to watch. He is set to miss out as well, which makes this a really tough game for the Grizzlies, even against this current Warriors team.
Memphis have lost eight of the last nine against the Golden State Warriors, including the last five in a row, and that may not change in this one.
It may not have been a very strong month for the Warriors, but they are still a team that will set up decent looks for the three point shooters. This is something they can impose on the Grizzlies, while the size advantage is likely going to lead to more second chance point opportunities.
To give the Grizzlies some credit, they have not been that inefficient shooting the ball and that will give them the chance of an upset.
However, you cannot win a lot of basketball games while being crushed on the boards and that may ultimately give Golden State the opportunity to pull away against an opponent they have dominated.
Prediction
As long as the Warriors can expose the shortcomings on the boards that Memphis have been dealing with, Golden State should have enough to pull away for a win and cover.
The Pick :
Memphis Grizzlies 112-118 Golden State Warriors
