Keagan Smith dives into his pick and prediction for the Memphis Grizzlies vs. Portland Trail Blazers game on Friday’s six-game NBA slate.

It’s Friday, meaning the first day of the post-deadline period of the NBA season begins. The league was shaken by a litany of big deals on the trade market, one of which included the very Memphis Grizzlies team that heads westward to take on the Portland Trail Blazers tonight. How will things shake out in Oregon tonight?

Here’s a Grizzlies vs. Trail Blazers prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday night’s game.

Grizzlies vs. Trail Blazers prediction, preview

Memphis Grizzlies

The writing was on the wall for a rebuild in Memphis heading into deadline season. However, it was Jaren Jackson Jr. who made his exit from the franchise rather than Ja Morant, fetching a couple of prospects with upside and three first-round picks from the Utah Jazz. Now, the Grizzlies are 20-29 as they likely seek to bottom out for the remainder of the campaign.

The first game without Jackson Jr. took place on Wednesday, resulting in a hard-fought 129-125 win over a lowly Sacramento Kings group. None of the team’s new additions appeared in that contest, but most of them are likely to appear tonight.

On the season so far, Memphis falls 20th in NETRTG at -1.7 and sixth in pace. The Grizzlies average 115.3 PPG (17th) while shooting 53.4% from two (22nd) and 34.9% from three (20th). They’re fifth in assists with 28.9 per game and 12th in AST/TO ratio as well. The unit does rank sixth in rebounds per game with 45.8, but may struggle in that aspect after shipping out starting center Jock Landale in the JJJ trade. Defensively, the Grizzlies allow 117.0 PPG (21st) but likely will take a hit in that regard as well after sending away their a multi-time All-Defense honoree.

Ty Jerome has looked incredible in his three appearances after debuting last week, averaging 22.3 PPG with 7.0 assists with incredibly efficient shooting splits. He’ll likely keep playing a major role, though his minutes restriction will hold his workload back some. Cedric Coward posts 13.6 PPG with 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 dimes, and Jaylen Wells contributes 12.0 PPG. Cam Spencer has also played well with 11.9 PPG and a 45.8% three-point percentage. New addition Taylor Hendricks could also see a large role as he likely makes his Grizzlies debut.

The injury report does include some major names such as Ja Morant and Zach Edey, who have each dealt with longer-term injuries. Santi Aldama (knee) is also out, while Kyle Anderson (illness) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (back) are questionable.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers expected to take a jump into the postseason picture, and a Play-In Tournament appearance does appear within striking distance still. However, they’re 23-28 overall and have lost six consecutive matchups. Tonight is the perfect opportunity to break that streak, though nothing is guaranteed in this league.

Portland sits 22nd in NETRTG at -2.8 with the eighth-highest pace in the NBA. The Trail Blazers aren’t particularly great on either side of the ball, averaging 115.3 PPG (18th) while giving up 118.1 on the other end (23rd). Efficiency is something of an issue at a 54.5% rate from two (16th) and a 33.6% clip from three (30th), so improvement from deep is certainly desirable while taking the third-most attempts. Portland is also 28th in assists with 24.3 per game and dead last in AST/TO ratio, too. However, rebounding is a strong suit with 45.7 per contest, eighth-most.

Forward Deni Avdija has taken the leap to All-Star status with 25.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game, but he’s questionable to play tonight with a back strain that’s sidelined him for several recent outings. Shaedon Sharpe is second on the team with 21.8 PPG as an athletic slasher, and fellow guard Jrue Holiday posts 14.4 points with 6.6 assists as a stabilizing force. Young center Donovan Clingan averages a double-double of 11.2 points and 11.2 rebounds, also leading the NBA with 4.6 offensive boards per game. Jerami Grant also scores 18.7 PPG off the bench.

Grizzlies vs. Trail Blazers pick, best bet

DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Trail Blazers as 8.5-point home favorites tonight with -305 odds on the Moneyline. The Grizzlies are +245 ML underdogs with the game total set at 234.5 points. Betting splits show 78% of straight wagers on Portland to win with 52% picking the under on the total.

With Memphis playing just its second game since trading away Jackson Jr. and what felt like half of the rotation, projecting how things look tonight remains difficult. The roles new players will assume are uncertain, and integrating those guys into the lineup may take some time after the shakeup. It’s difficult to trust the Grizzlies to even cover tonight given the major changes.

While both teams are rather sloppy in terms of turnovers, it’s pretty clear that Portland will have the best player in this game if Avdija plays as well as that the home team has a major advantage on the glass. The big man rotation for Memphis is largely decimated, with Olivier-Maxence Prosper or possibly Taylor Hendricks starting at center tonight. Comparatively, Clingan should dominate the glass without much competition, especially after pulling down 15+ boards in five of his last eight games with double-digit rebounds in eight of his last 10. Even if the Trail Blazers are inefficient or turn the ball over, they should see plenty of extra possessions tonight and still manage to cover against a disjointed Grizzlies unit adjusting to the new reality.

Top pick: POR Trail Blazers -8.5 (-118)