New York Knicks vs Memphis Grizzlies
October 29, 2022 7:40 PM ET
The Line: New York Knicks +6.5 / Memphis Grizzlies -6.5

To regain some relevance, New York heavily spent on guard Jalen Brunson this offseason. He raises the bar for skill, but I don’t foresee any significant changes in terms of wins and losses. The unpredictable forward Julius Randle is New York’s finest player, but he has never been remarkably consistent. New York made some waves with a defense-first strategy two years ago, but last year they tried to open things up offensively with little success. They appear unsure of the type of team they wish to be.

In the Western Conference, Memphis had the second-best record at the end of the previous campaign. Even if they did not do as well in the playoffs as they had hoped, they did win their division for the first time. So, there is much to build on. In contrast to New York, they are confident of the players they want to have on their roster, including Ja Morant’s skills. He was the league’s most exciting player despite missing some time the previous season. Even though forward Jaren Jackson Jr. is missing to start the season, and they lost some depth this offseason, they should still be strong.

Memphis won both games in their last meeting between these teams. But in terms of covers, they were split, with New York winning at Memphis in one of Randle’s outstanding performances of the year (36 points, 12 rebounds). The Knicks have a shot when he performs like that against superior teams, but the Grizzlies’ chances are far more significant in the season’s opening game, when everyone should perform at or near their potential. It is sensible to support them at home.