Memphis Grizzlies vs OKC Thunder Prediction and Betting Tips – April 20

The NBA playoffs roll on this Easter Sunday, starting with Game 1 of the Western Conference’s top seed vs. eighth seed showdown between the OKC Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies. OKC comes in rested after a week off, while Memphis just clawed through two play-in games to punch their playoff ticket.

Here’s a preview of Game 1 of the Memphis Grizzlies vs OKC Thunder first-round series, scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m. ET at Paycom Center in Oklahoma.

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Memphis Grizzlies vs OKC Thunder Preview and Odds

Moneyline: Grizzlies (+625) vs Thunder (-1000)

Spread: Grizzlies +13.5 (-110) vs Thunder -13.5 (-110)

Total (O/U): Grizzlies o229.5 (-110) vs Thunder u229.5 (-110)

Editor’s note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.

Memphis Grizzlies vs OKC Thunder preview

The Thunder and Grizzlies matched up four times this season, and OKC came out on top each time — and not just barely. They won by margins of 24, 13, 17 and 21 points, giving them an average victory margin of 18.8 points. It’s no surprise the sportsbooks have them heavily favored.

While OKC dominated the regular season, they enter this one off a lengthy layoff. Most of their starters sat out the final games, and this opener could be a rhythm check after more than 10 days off.

Even so, the Thunder’s depth, which showed in every matchup against Memphis, gives them a huge edge.

In those four regular-season clashes, OKC averaged 125.0 points per game to Memphis’ 106.3. They controlled the boards (46.0 rebounds per game to Memphis’ 44.0) and moved the ball better (29.8 assists per game to 25.0).

Perhaps most striking: the Thunder shot 48.1% overall and 39.2% from deep while getting nearly 10 more shot attempts per game than the Grizzlies.

OKC thrives on generating offense through their league-best defense, and that could be the difference once again this afternoon.

Memphis showed heart during the play-in, but neither of those games featured a threat like OKC — especially with the Thunder coming in fresh and healthy.

The Grizzlies will be without forward Brandon Clarke due to a right knee PCL sprain, while GG Jackson is out for personal reasons. Jaylen Wells is also unavailable with a right wrist fracture, facial injuries and remains in concussion protocol.

For the Thunder, Ousmane Dieng (left calf strain) and Nikola Topic (knee surgery) are the only players out. Neither impacts the rotation significantly — Dieng is a bench piece and Topic was already ruled out for his rookie season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominated Memphis this year, averaging 36.3 points, 7.3 assists and 2.8 boards in their four meetings. Jalen Williams also put up strong numbers, averaging 19.8 ppg, 6.8 apg and 6.5 rpg in the season series.

Ja Morant appeared in two of the games and averaged 20.0 ppg, 6.5 apg and 4.0 rpg. Jaren Jackson Jr. played in three and averaged 19.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 3.3 apg.

Memphis Grizzlies vs OKC Thunder predicted starting lineups

Grizzlies

G – Ja Morant | G – Scotty Pippen Jr. | F – Desmond Bane | F – Jaren Jackson Jr. | C – Zach Edey

Thunder

G – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | G – Jalen Williams | F – Lu Dort | F – Chet Holmgren | C – Isaiah Hartenstein

Editor’s note: These are the predicted lineups and could change based on the availability of players.

Memphis Grizzlies vs OKC Thunder betting props

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander O/U 32.5 points – Take the under.
Ja Morant O/U 23.5 points – Take the under.
Jalen Williams O/U 22.5 points – Take the over.
Desmond Bane O/U 19.5 points – Take the under.

Memphis Grizzlies vs OKC Thunder prediction

OKC thoroughly outclassed the Grizzlies all season, and there’s little reason to believe this game will be any different. Expect another dominant performance from the West’s top seed.

Our prediction: Thunder win by 23.

About the author

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alt=”John Ezekiel Hirro” height=”72″ width=”72″>

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant’s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson’s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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