Los Angeles Clippers vs Memphis Grizzlies Picks and Prediction: Kawhi's Scoring Streak Is the Safest Play on a Chaotic Back-to-Back
The Los Angeles Clippers (30-32) limp into FedExForum on Saturday, March 7, to face the Memphis Grizzlies (23-38), tipping off at 8:00 PM ET on the second night of a back-to-back after one of the most gut-wrenching collapses of the season. LA blew a 25-point lead in San Antonio on Friday, losing 112-116 as Wemby and the Spurs stormed back with an 18-5 run to open the fourth quarter and stole a game that was firmly in LA's control through three. Kawhi Leonard dropped 30 in the loss and watched Nicolas Batum's inbound turnover seal the game with seconds left. Now the Clippers travel to Memphis without Darius Garland (who didn't travel for the road trip due to left toe management) and John Collins (neck strain), facing a Grizzlies squad that has lost nine of twelve but carries enough pace and young firepower to make any spread uncomfortable. Memphis sits at Grizzlies (+5.5) to (+7.5) depending on the book, with the total at 227.
OC Staff - March 7, 2026, 11:00 AM EST
3 Minute ReadLos Angeles Clippers vs Memphis Grizzlies Picks and Prediction: Kawhi's Scoring Streak Is the Safest Play on a Chaotic Back-to-Back
Clippers vs Grizzlies Recent Performance
LA's March started with three straight wins: a 137-117 blowout of the Pelicans, a 17-point comeback over Golden State (114-101), and a 130-107 demolition of Indiana where Bennedict Mathurin poured in 23 off the bench. That three-game streak died in San Antonio on Friday. The Spurs trailed by 25 in the third quarter before flipping the switch, and the Clippers looked like a team that spent every ounce of energy building that lead with nothing left for the fourth. Kawhi has been on a heater since February, averaging 28.7 points, 6.8 boards, and 4.4 assists over his last 11 games while shooting nearly 50% from the field. His 37-game streak of 20-plus points is the longest active run in the NBA. The problem is everything around him: no Garland in the backcourt, no Collins providing a second scoring punch up front, and a 14-18 road record that reflects a team that wins at home and struggles everywhere else.
Memphis is in full rebuild mode, and the roster reflects it. The Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah before the deadline, Ja Morant hasn't played since January 21 due to a UCL sprain in his left elbow, and Zach Edey is done for the year after ankle surgery. The result is a 23-38 squad running out lineups built around Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson II, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, names that most casual fans are still learning. That said, these young players have produced. Wells is averaging 15.9 points over his last 14 games and went for 24 in Wednesday's loss to Portland. GG Jackson has scored 18.2 per game across his last nine, and O-Max Prosper has averaged 14.2 over his last 11 contests while starting seven straight. The talent is raw, the defense is leaky (18th in defensive rating, 117.7 points allowed per game), but the scoring is there.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Memphis Grizzlies Head to Head
Memphis owns this season series 3-0, and the Clippers haven't beaten the Grizzlies since March 2025. The most recent meeting on December 15, 2025 saw Memphis roll at home 121-103 behind a 31-point eruption from Jaren Jackson Jr. (who is now in Utah, making that game's data less predictive for Saturday). The earlier meetings featured a Grizzlies roster with JJJ and Caldwell-Pope as anchors, a fundamentally different team than the one Memphis currently fields.
Kawhi has feasted individually in these matchups despite the team losses, putting up 21, 24, and 39 points across the three games. Memphis has no answer for him when he gets into his midrange spots, and that matchup dynamic carries over to Saturday even with the roster turnover. The Grizzlies' ATS record as a home underdog sits at 5-10, which tells you Memphis doesn't keep games competitive at FedExForum when overmatched. That number matters more than the 3-0 head-to-head sweep when you're evaluating how this version of the Grizzlies handles being a dog.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Memphis Grizzlies Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast, FanDuel Sports Network SoCal, NBA League Pass
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Clippers vs Grizzlies Odds
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Clippers vs Grizzlies Team News
The Clippers' injury list reads like a postseason DNP sheet. Bradley Beal is out for the season after hip surgery. Garland sat the Spurs game for toe management and didn't travel for the road trip, meaning he's confirmed out Saturday as well. Collins has missed three straight with a neck strain and is expected to remain sidelined. Yanic Konan Niederhauser is done for the year with a foot injury. That leaves Kawhi as the clear offensive engine, surrounded by Mathurin (who has been excellent recently, scoring 23 on 8-for-11 shooting against Indiana), Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Brook Lopez, and Nicolas Batum. The supporting cast is functional, and Mathurin has looked like a legitimate secondary scorer since arriving. Kawhi's minutes management is worth watching: he logged heavy time in Friday's collapse and the Clippers play the Knicks on Monday, but the coaching staff has shown no willingness to sit him in winnable games with the play-in race this tight.
Memphis lists six players on the injury report, and the names are the franchise cornerstones. Morant remains out with an elbow UCL sprain and was re-evaluated just two days ago, with the team announcing "incomplete healing" and extending his absence at least two more weeks. Edey's season ended with ankle surgery. Caldwell-Pope is out for the year with a finger injury. Santi Aldama sits for injury management, Brandon Clarke is out with a calf issue, and Taj Gibson is reconditioning. The Grizzlies are essentially running a development squad, and head coach Tuomas Iisalo has leaned into it by spreading minutes evenly across his young rotation. Wells, GG Jackson, Prosper, Cam Spencer, and Scotty Pippen Jr. all see 25-26 minutes per game, creating a balanced but unpredictable offensive attack that can score 125 one night (they did that against Indiana on March 1) and get run off the floor the next.
Prediction: Clippers 114, Grizzlies 108
The Clippers are the better team even in this depleted state, and Kawhi's scoring keeps LA within range of any number. Memphis plays at a top-five pace, which inflates the possession count and gives both teams more opportunities on the scoreboard. That works both ways: the Grizzlies will get enough looks to stay within touching distance through three quarters, but LA's shooting efficiency (48.1% from the field, seventh in the league) and ability to get to the free throw line (25.9 free throws per game as the road team, third in the NBA) gradually builds separation. The back-to-back factor keeps this from becoming a 15-point cruise. Kawhi puts up his usual 27 to 30, Mathurin chips in 18 as the secondary scorer, and Memphis gets a combined 50 from Wells, GG Jackson, and Prosper in a respectable but insufficient effort. The final margin lands around 6, right at the spread number depending on where you got it.
Best Bet: Kawhi Leonard Over 26.5 Points (-105) Click here to get the best odds at BetMGM Sportsbook
Leonard is averaging 27.9 points per game this season, a career best at age 34. Since February, that number jumps to 28.7 across 11 games. He has scored 20-plus in 37 consecutive contests, the longest active streak in the league, and he's cleared 26.5 specifically in eight of his last ten. Friday night's 30-point showing in San Antonio was on 10-for-19 shooting with 9-for-10 from the line, and he did it playing heavy minutes in a game that went down to the wire. Against Memphis this season, he's gone for 21, 24, and 39 points, putting up an average of 28 per game in the head-to-head. The Grizzlies rank 18th in defensive rating and have no wing defender capable of slowing him after Caldwell-Pope's season ended. Without Garland and Collins in the lineup, LA's offense funnels through Kawhi even more than usual, and the coaching staff has no reason to limit his minutes in a game the Clippers need for play-in positioning. The B2B fatigue is a real factor for the team, but Leonard's individual usage and shot volume insulate this prop from the team-wide efficiency drop. A guy averaging nearly 29 a game in February against a defense ranked 18th in the league has every reason to clear 26.5, and the betting public seems to agree given how tight the juice is.
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