There was a time when the Memphis Grizzlies were the NBA’s ‘Next Big Thing.’ While it feels like a decade ago, it’s only been a few years. A lot of things happened with the team. Ja Morant got out of line, subsequently costing the Grizzlies their place in the line.
Morant and the team were that connected, as these sorts of combinations often go, and Memphis fell as hard as their star player did.
But let us assume that his 2023 suspensions are behind him, including the injuries that piled up to ruin him and the Grizzlies too. Which brings the questions:
Is Memphis a 50-win team again? A top-two team in the West once again? Or a title contender once again? Can the Grizzlies regain all that was lost, after a 27-win bridge year?
Maybe.
Morant is a spectacular player just reaching his prime, a unique talent that can carry a squad. Jaren Jackson Jr. is a top defender. Desmond Bane averaged over 20 points in a match last season. Marcus Smart was the NBA’s Kia Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 just before he arrived in Memphis and got wounded, missed much of the campaign, but is now itchy.
The Grizzlies have depth: Brandon Clarke, is terrific at rebounding, also recovering from injury. GG Jackson is still wounded but should come back in three months after foot surgery; he and Vince Williams were answered prayers last term. Zach Edey, if he learns fast, can move in the middle like Steven Adams once did.
So, yes, Memphis has the resources to reintegrate into the West conversation. But the next climb is sloppy. Because of their suspension-and-injury-induced absence from the big stage, other clubs took their spot: Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Grizzlies are somewhere in the mix, along with other teams (Nuggets, Suns). Mostly, Memphis are eager to remind everyone about a 202 Western Conference semifinal trip and 107 regular season wins over a two-year span, determined to prove that last year was a pause.
Morant and Memphis on A Mission. That could be their 2024-25 slogan. The Grizzlies are the wildest when it comes to wild cards. Write them in for 50 victories again. But not for Western Conference title.
Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman is used to leading the squad in targets.
He has done so again through three matches of the 2024 season with 20 looks his way.
What is he used to? Those targets led to little production, something he said cannot affect him or the Colts plans of winning.
“Yeah, you have to fight it because if that gets to you, then you start playing bad,” Pittman said, via Fox59’s Mike Chappell. “You start doing too much. You’ve gotta fight that off and just know that it is a team sport. As long as we win games, it’s good. You have to put [the frustrations] aside.
“Obviously, we want to do more. I want to do a lot more. But you have to do what you’re asked to do and just be a good teammate.”
So far in the new season, Pittman’s 20 targets are almost double of the next Colts player (Alec Pierce, 12).
He has turned that into only 88 yards on 11 catches. His 8.0 yards per reception comes in 1.3 yards off his worst-ever season total. His 55.0 catch percentage is currently 10.6% lower than his 2020 rookie season, his worst in that category.
Pittman’s numbers across the board are far off from his career rates, not to mention down from last season. He has a 109-catch, a 1,152-yard campaign that is his best to date. This led to his three-year, $70 million extension over the summer.
Pittman surpassed his present three-game yardage total in five different standalone contests last season, one of which came during Anthony Richardson’s first start as a rookie.
Although, this year, the connection hasn’t been there as Richardson greatly struggled with his precision. He only made four starts in 2023 before he lost his campaign to an injury. He has not completed more than half his passes in any tournaments this term, plus he leads the NFL with six interceptions.
The Colts’ have enjoyed more success on the ground behind Richardson’s scrambles and running back Jonathan Taylor’s steady contributions, surpassing 100 yards rushing as a team weekly.
During their first win of the year in Week 3 over the Chicago Bears, the scales heavily swung that way, as the offense scored 33 run plays compared to 20 passes.
Pittman knows that will be the winning formula sometimes.
“I think Travis Kelce said it the best,” he said. “You have to be unselfish with the type of team we are right now. Just knowing we’re going to do what is going to win us games and we’re going to do whatever that is.
“Some games it could be a passing attack. Some games it could be a run attack. Man, it’s all about winning the game. As long as we’re winning games, you kind of put your head down and just keep going.”
He also understands that there is enough football ahead to correct his current lull. The Colts will figure out their best balance to stay competitive, with more chances hopefully leading to more ease for Richardson behind center.
That in turn could lead to better days ahead for the fifth-year wide receiver, who has consistently proven that he can adjust to change and deliver.
“We’re just being patient,” Pittman said. “We are committed to getting better each day and opportunities are going to come. When they do, we have to make the most of them.”
Munich national JJ Peterka scored in his homecoming match, and the Buffalo Sabres beat EHC Red Bull Munchen 5-0 in the 2024 NHL Global Series Challenge Germany. The game was presented by Fastenal at SAP Garden on Friday before a crowd of 10,796 fans.
Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist, and Sam Lafferty, Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn also scored for the Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made eight saves in 31:32 before Devon Levi who made four saves replaced him.
Buffalo won’t play again until October 4th, when they begin the regular season with the first of two matches in two nights against the New Jersey Devils in the 2024 NHL Global Series Czechia. Fastenal will also present this at O2 Arena in Prague.
Lafferty gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead at 7:46 of the first period. His pass attempt to Rasmus Dahlin deflected off Red Bull forward Viet Oswald high in the zone and flew past goalie Mathias Niederberger into the net.
Thompson made it 2-0 at 15:14, when he skated out of the left face-off circle to the front of the net and stopped Henri Jokiharju’s floating wrist shot from the left point.
Cozens scored a power-play goal to make it 3-10 at 13:41 of the second period.
Quinn delivered a goal at 17:29 to make it 4-0. He won a race to the puck in the right circle, stayed on his skates despite being almost pulled down from behind by Red Bull defenseman Jakob Werber, and roofed a fast shot past Niederberger.
Peterka extended Buffalo’s lead to 5-0 at 3:48 of the third period, when he scored from the right circle with a wrist shot inside the right post.
The Kansas City Royals do not like talking about last year. This whole season, they decided not to think about 2023. All that matters, according to manager Matt Quatraro, is today.
On the night the Royals won their first postseason place since 2015 with the Minnesota Twins losing to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night, the 2023 season was mentioned many times.
And how far the team has come from it.
“This is the moment to take it in,” Vinnie Pasquantino said. “We were really bad last year. This year, we’re really good. And you get kind of emotional thinking about it. I’m super excited to be in this locker room right now. We’re happy to be here. And we’re not satisfied.”
Nine years after the Royals won it all and brought Kansas City its second World Series title in franchise history, they are back in the postseason. They’ll compete in the Wild Card Series next week in Baltimore or Houston, with seeding to be determined over the final two days of the regular season.
In 2024, the Royals became the third team since the expansion era began (‘61) to advance to the postseason after losing up to 100 matches the previous year. They join the 2017 Twins and 2020 Miami Marlins, but are first to lose 106+ and make it.
“To get to where we were from where we are, there’s so many people involved,” general manager J.J. Picollo, the architect of the turnaround, said. “So many people played a part in this. To see it all happen is kind of surreal. We felt like it was going to happen. But until it did, you just didn’t know.”
They finally got their moment on Friday, despite waiting for the Twins to lose to the Baltimore Orioles after they dropped their series opener to the Braves at Truist Park. But that didn’t matter to Royals when champagne was spraying and beers were flowing.
Bobby Witt Jr. had two empty beer cans strapped to his head with a cigar hanging out of his mouth with a goofy smile only a baseball-loving superstar would wear.
“This is what I dreamed of as a kid,” Witt said. “I saw the pictures. I bought the shirts. Now I’m in the pictures. And I have the shirt.
“It’s amazing what the front office and coaching staff did. And this team. I’m forever thankful. I’m glad to be here.”
The 2024-25 NBA season will be the 79th season of the National Basketball Association. It is scheduled to begin on October 22nd, 2024 and end on April 13th, 2025. To help you wager successfully on the new campaign, MatchPlug has created this article on NBA 2024 season preview and betting previews.
The Boston Celtics won their 18th NBA championship title last season, after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five matches in the 2023 NBA finals. As Jayson Tatum and the rest of the Celtics squad gear up for the new season, recreating this feat will not be easy, especially with a number of other teams playing to get a slice of victory.
This 2024-25 NBA season promises to be an exciting one filled with twists, turns, and teams tightening up their squads with new and extended signings. To stay up to date with it all, you can visit MatchPlug weekly to get previews, odds and NBA expert picks to help you with your predictions.
Which team will win the finals this year? According to reports on the current futures market, defending champions, Boston Celtics have an implied 24.4% chance of winning the 2024-25 NBA championship.
After them is the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 12.9% chance that makes them the second-most likely team to win the title. Next is the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks with a 10% chance.
NBA 2024 Title Odds
Below is a list of the odds for the NBA 2024 title:
There wasn’t much buzz surrounding the NBA 2024 draft, due to sports analysts perceiving the whole event as weak. However, there are still some rookies that are watch watching for the new season, and we have listed them out below:
1. Reed Sheppard
Reed Sheppard has had a complex evolution, ever since he was in high school. Last year at Kentucky, he had remarkable shooting numbers, complemented by defensive metrics that excite. Supplement all of that with some impressive on-ball reps in the summer league, and this No.3 overall pick could be the best player in the NBA 2024 draft.
Team: Houston Rockets.
2. Zach Edey
Zach Edey was the No.9 overall pick in the draft and its most polarizing prospect. He was superior in college basketball for the last two season at Purdue, but was always consider a wrong fit for the NBA. The Memphis Grizzlies taking him in top 10 was a shocking moment in the draft night, even if it was only after many teams rebuffed them for wanting to trade up for Donovan Clingan.
Team: Memphis Grizzlies.
3. Zaccharie Risacher
Zaccahrie Risacher is not a typical first overall pick. He is more of a 3-and-D style role player than the type of creator or high upside prospect that usually goes number one. Additionally, he had some substantial ups and downs last campaign in France. The truth is he would not have gone number one if Alex Sarr had not forced the Hawks’ hands.
Team: Atlanta Hawks.
4. Alexandre Sarr
Alexandre Sarr was the player most people expected to be the first pick in the draft when the lottery order was determined. When the Hawks got the number one pick, Sarr and his representatives basically decided that he would go to the Washington Wizards. This was a clear enough rationale. The Wizards are not looking to win as they are still rebuilding. As such, they should have more opportunities for Sarr to play next season.
Team: Washington Wizards.
5. Stephon Castle
Stephon gets the last spot on this list, because opportunity is the biggest requirementfor early success of NBA rookies. The San Antonio Spurs already have Victor Wembanyama as a generational talent to build around, and while Wembanyama was as good as he was marketed to be last season, the rest of the Spurs roster was not ready to compete in the playoffs.
Team: San Antonio Spurs.
NBA 2024 Season Previews
Here, we give you a snippet of some NBA 2024 season previews for 10 teams in the NBA, ahead of the new campaign. If you’d like to see more previews, you can visit the NBA Predictions page on our site.
1. Atlanta Hawks NBA 2024 Season Preview
Dejounte Murray is out and No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher joins the Atlanta Hawks. With three-straight trips to compete in the tournament, the Hawks have a mission to avoid that scenario completely.
With Murray out of the picture, are Risacher and the new signings from New Orleans playing alongside Trae Young enough to make that dream a reality?
2. Boston Celtics NBA 2024 Season Preview
The new NBA champions are the betting favorites to win the title again next season, but since no team has won the Larry O’Brien trophy twice in a row since 2019, betting on the Boston Celtics to secure a 19th title in franchise history is an investment to be carefully considered.
3. Brooklyn Nets NBA 2024 Season Preview
The Brooklyn Nets sent a message to the other teams by trading Mikal Bridges, stating that they are ready to shake things up at the 2025 draft. Nicolas Claxton, Cam Johnson, and Cam Thomas are key players, but according to oddsmakers, this upcoming campaign will be a total wash.
4. Charlotte Hornets NBA 2024 Season Preview
LaMelo Ball suffering an injury derailed what would have been another year of not making the playoffs for the Charlotte Hornets. But oddsmakers believe a healthy season should lift the Hornets to some progress in the win-loss column. Will their success be tied to that or is there more work to do?
5. Chicago Bulls NBA 2024 Season Preview
DeMar DeRoznan has left the Bulls, and Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic could be next if Chicago are serious about creating a new path forward, since the old one hit a roadblock years ago. Can Coby White, Josh Giddey, Patrick Williams, and rookie Matas Buzelis lead Chicago into a new era, and can that begin as early as this upcoming term?
6. Cleveland Cavaliers NBA 2024 Season Preview
Although the Cleveland Cavaliers roster looks like it did last season, that is still more than enough for them after signing extensions with Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Donovan Mitchell. A second round appearance was their strongest postseason run since they had LeBron James.
7. Dallas Mavericks NBA 2024 Season
By signing Klay Thompson offseason in a sign-and-trade deal with the Golden State Warriors, along with other noteworthy acquisitions, the Dallas Mavericks are well-equipped to make another Finals run. However, it won’t be easy for them to sneak up on the other teams, as they adored underdogs.
8. Denver Nuggets NBA 2024 Season Preview
Leaving the playoffs in the second round was hard for the Denver Nuggets, and their chances of returning to the Finals got slimmer this summer with key players leaving the team. But, with the three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic still in their ranks, the Nuggets can accomplish anything.
9. Detroit Pistons NBA 2024 Season Preview
The Detroit Pistons finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference for two consecutive seasons, and have tied the worst losing streak in NBA history at 28 matches. Fortunately, unlike earlier summers, the newly elected front office voted to make changes at both head coach level and the roster in a bid to dig them out of the hole the former regime put them in.
10. Golden State Warriors NBA 2024 Season Preview
Klay Thompson leaving the Golden State Warriors will take some getting used to, but this is the present and future for the Warriors with only Stephen Curry and Draymond Green left from the greatest Big Threes in NBA history. Both players’ careers are winding down, with younger players awaiting. Will Golden State get another run at the championship with their current lineup?
How To Bet On The NBA 2024 Season
In the NBA, you have a lot of betting options you can explore. You can wager on the moneyline, point spread, totals in the game, or on player props. No matter what you choose, always ensure that you’re selecting the best odds by shopping around at different sportsbooks for the bet you want to place and add it to your betting slip.
Popular Betting Types For The NBA 2024 Season
The NBA is one of the most popular sports in the world that people wager on. It is an array of betting markets for you to bet on. You can wager on every NBA game in the regular season and playoffs, or you can also opt for future markets. Here are the popular betting types / markets for the NBA 2024 season:
1. Moneyline Betting
Moneyline betting is the easiest and most basic NBA bet. In this market, you’re simply wagering on which team will win a game. You have one team that is the favorite (preferred to win) and another that is the underdog (less likely to win). The favoritehas a minus sign (-), while the underdog has the plus sign (+).
For instance, in a Celtics VS Mavericks match, if the Mavericks are the underdogs, you’ll see +150 for them and -200 for the Celtics.
2. Point Spread Betting
In point spread betting, the bookmakers give one of the teams a head start of a certain number of points to even things out between both sides. They may give the Mavericks +6.5 and the Celtics -6.5. That means for Dallas to win, they need to win the match by any score or lose by no more than 6 points. For Boston to win, they need to win the match by 7 points or more.
3. Totals Betting
A totals bet is the final score which is a sum total of the individual points scored by two NBA teams in a single match. For example if the odds are over or under 48.5, and the teams score 29 – 20 respectively, which is 49 and above 48.5. Picking an over 48.5 bet is a win for you because the total score passed 48. But if you pick under 48.5 and the teams score 27 +10 which is 37 points, then you win that bet.
4. Player Props Betting
Player props betting is basically wagering on every single player action throughout the season. Things you can wager on include – number of assists, rebounds, points, three-point field goals, and triple-doubles.
5. Future Props Betting
Just like player props, future props wagers are bets made on future events that will occur at the end of the NBA 2024 season. These can be things like who will win the NBA championship title, candidates for MVP awards, which team will win their conference or division, etc. Future bets might take long to cash out, but they are very lucrative.
6. Team Props
In team props you’re wagering on the performance of a single team. Things you can bet on include total points score, the number of three-pointers in a game, and alternate spreads as well.
Top Betting Strategies For The NBA 2024 Season
To wager successfully on the new NBA season, there are certain strategies you need to implement. In this section, we have shared those bettings strategies and Sure Tips for the NBA 2024 season.
1. Bankroll Management
Bankroll management is one of the best NBA betting strategies to follow. As a bettor, it is important that you do not get careless with your money and wager too much on any one match. Without good bankroll management, one stretch could leave you with nothing left to bet on when things pick up.
2. Monitor Injuries
Player injuries are important factors that can change the trajectory of a game. In the NBA, wounded star players tend to sit out more than in any other sport. One small injury can become a big deal, if the team decides to rest their key player. A good strategy would be to look for cluster injuries.
If a team has few injured front-court players, they will bring out their back-end roster to play. A team with a wounded front-court playing a side with a dominant big man is ripe for the taking.
3. Find An Edge
To beat oddsmakers, you need to have an edge that you can exploit. To find, identify factors that haven’t already been baked into the line. It is wise to stake out a niche, finding something that works for you, and sticking to it.
4. Get The Best Odds
Another important aspect of betting on the NBA is to find the best odds. You can do this by opening multiple accounts with different sportsbooks, so that you can compare odds and ensure you’re getting the best value in the market. The difference between odds might not look big, but it certainly makes a huge difference in your overall wager.
5. Bet With Your Head
For NBA 2024 if there is one piece of advice you shouldn’t neglect, it’s to bet with your head and not your heart. What we mean is that you shouldn’t back a team just because they’re representing your state or you have a soft spot for them. Instead wager on them because after thorough research and consideration, you believe they will win.
Bayern Munich wing-back Alphonso Davies says the German side has his full attention.
Off contract in June, Davies is expected to receive a pre-contract offer by Real Madrid in January with the intention of signing him next summer in a Bosman transfer.
But Davies told BILD: “My full focus is on this team. I’m playing for Bayern Munich now, and that’s what I’m concentrating on. I want to win every game. That’s why I’m not thinking about it right now.
“Whether I stay or leave the club, I will always carry this club in my heart, he says.
“You have to talk to my agent about it. My focus right now is on winning every game. I’m not thinking about the other subject at the moment.”
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