Memphis Grizzlies vs Chicago Bulls Picks, Prediction, Odds, and Line Movement for Monday March 16 2026
Use Code WWWC Nearly 17 months have passed since the Bulls and Grizzlies last shared a court, and when these two injury-ravaged rosters finally reunite on Monday night, the most compelling bet may be fading the home team staggering back from a cross-country road trip. Before we break down every angle, head over to our full NBA picks page for today's best plays across the league.
Quick Picks and Prediction
- Spread Pick: Memphis Grizzlies +6
- Total Pick: Over 242.5
- Projected Final Score: Bulls 125, Grizzlies 121
Odds and Line Movement
Chicago opened as a 4.5-point home favorite and the line has climbed steadily to as high as -6.5 before settling near -6 as of Monday morning. The movement reflects consistent action on the Bulls, though the direction of public money has been firmly on Memphis throughout the overnight window — tracking at 82% of dollars and 67% of tickets on the Grizzlies as of the latest entries, down from a peak of 100% on Memphis earlier in the morning. That heavy public lean toward Memphis without the line fully moving in their favor is a notable reverse-line movement indicator. The total opened at 239.5 and has climbed sharply to 242.5 across a long pricing window, with the market rotating from 100% Over action early to a split of 96% Under and 50% Over as of Monday morning — suggesting sharp money arrived on the Under as the number climbed, creating a tug-of-war that has held the total in the 242-to-243.5 range.
Opening Odds
| Team | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bulls | -4.5 (-108) | Over 239.5 (-110) |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +4.5 (-112) | Under 239.5 (-110) |
Current Odds
| Team | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bulls | -6.5 (-102) | Over 242.5 (-115) |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +6.5 (-118) | Under 242.5 (-105) |
Line Movement - Spread
| Date | Time | Memphis | Chicago | Public ($, #) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/16 | 08:50:03 AM | +6.5 (-118) | -6.5 (-102) | MEM 82%, MEM 67% |
| 03/16 | 08:47:13 AM | +5.5 (-102) | -5.5 (-118) | MEM 82%, MEM 67% |
| 03/16 | 07:08:33 AM | +6.5 (-102) | -6.5 (-118) | MEM 82%, MEM 67% |
| 03/16 | 07:05:14 AM | +5.5 (-102) | -5.5 (-118) | MEM 82%, MEM 67% |
| 03/16 | 03:58:47 AM | +6.5 (-118) | -6.5 (-102) | MEM 100%, MEM 100% |
| 03/16 | 03:57:02 AM | +5.5 (-102) | -5.5 (-118) | MEM 100%, MEM 100% |
| 03/16 | 02:15:14 AM | +6.5 (-118) | -6.5 (-102) | MEM 100%, MEM 100% |
| 03/15 | 11:43:58 PM | +6.5 (-112) | -6.5 (-108) | MEM 100%, MEM 100% |
| 03/15 | 11:33:04 PM | +6.5 (-115) | -6.5 (-105) | MEM 100%, MEM 100% |
| 03/15 | 11:02:52 PM | +5.5 (-110) | -5.5 (-110) | MEM 100%, MEM 100% |
| 03/15 | 09:39:29 PM | +6.5 (-115) | -6.5 (-105) | — |
| 03/15 | 09:34:14 PM | +5.5 (-110) | -5.5 (-110) | — |
| 03/15 | 09:33:56 PM | +4.5 (-108) | -4.5 (-112) | — |
Line Movement - Total
| Date | Time | Over | Under | Public ($, #) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/16 | 08:57:32 AM | 242.5 (-115) | 242.5 (-105) | UN 96%, OV 50% |
| 03/16 | 08:57:00 AM | 243.5 (-105) | 243.5 (-115) | UN 96%, OV 50% |
| 03/16 | 08:50:03 AM | 242.5 (-105) | 242.5 (-105) | UN 96%, OV 50% |
| 03/16 | 07:05:30 AM | 243.5 (-108) | 243.5 (-112) | UN 94%, OV 50% |
| 03/16 | 07:05:29 AM | 242.5 (-115) | 242.5 (-105) | UN 94%, OV 50% |
| 03/16 | 07:05:29 AM | 243.5 (-108) | 243.5 (-112) | UN 94%, OV 50% |
| 03/16 | 04:41:34 AM | 242.5 (-115) | 242.5 (-105) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 04:17:16 AM | 243.5 (-105) | 243.5 (-115) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 04:08:07 AM | 242.5 (-115) | 242.5 (-105) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 03:58:57 AM | 243.5 (-105) | 243.5 (-115) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 03:58:47 AM | 242.5 (-115) | 242.5 (-105) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 03:46:44 AM | 243.5 (-105) | 243.5 (-115) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 03:35:08 AM | 242.5 (-115) | 242.5 (-105) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 03:22:35 AM | 243.5 (-105) | 243.5 (-115) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 03:14:58 AM | 242.5 (-115) | 242.5 (-105) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 03:14:52 AM | 243.5 (-105) | 243.5 (-115) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 02:52:40 AM | 242.5 (-115) | 242.5 (-105) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 02:50:22 AM | 243.5 (-105) | 243.5 (-115) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 02:15:14 AM | 242.5 (-115) | 242.5 (-105) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 12:09:32 AM | 243.5 (-105) | 243.5 (-112) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/16 | 12:05:19 AM | 242.5 (-112) | 242.5 (-108) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/15 | 11:59:49 PM | 241.5 (-108) | 241.5 (-112) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/15 | 11:59:06 PM | 240.5 (-108) | 240.5 (-112) | OV 100%, OV 100% |
| 03/15 | 09:33:56 PM | 239.5 (-110) | 239.5 (-110) | — |
Grizzlies vs Bulls Key Matchups and Handicap
This is the first meeting of the season between Chicago and Memphis, with a rematch scheduled in less than two weeks. Both of last year's contests came within the opening month of the season, meaning it has been nearly 17 months since these two franchises last faced one another. That long gap makes head-to-head history less actionable than usual, though Chicago's 4-1 straight-up and against the spread mark over the last five all-time meetings is worth noting. Memphis did win the most recent contest in November 2024.
The situational angle in tonight's game is one of the strongest on the entire board. Chicago is returning home after a five-game West Coast road trip that ended in Los Angeles. The Bulls went 2-3 straight-up on that trip but managed a respectable 3-2 mark against the spread, showing they competed despite the grind. The problem is the travel. Flying back from Los Angeles to Chicago for a Monday night game is not an ideal setup for any team, let alone one that has been on the road for five consecutive games. Memphis, by contrast, comes in off equal rest with a shorter travel footprint — and that rest-and-travel edge for the Grizzlies is a real factor at a spread that has ballooned to six points.
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Memphis is in the middle of a seven-game losing streak, but the Grizzlies' ATS performance during this skid tells a more nuanced story. The market has been pricing Memphis as a significant underdog throughout this stretch, and the Grizzlies have been covering at a meaningful clip. Five of Memphis's last six games have gone over the total, which is a significant trend in a matchup where both rosters are so thin that defensive rotations will be stretched from the opening tip.
Chicago has only been favored one time in its last ten games, and the Bulls lost that contest — at Sacramento — by 16 points. That result is a useful calibration point: when the market upgrades Chicago to favorite status, the Bulls have not delivered. Tonight they are being asked to cover six points at home after a cross-country road trip, against a team that has been playing competitive basketball despite its losing record. The structural case for fading the Bulls at this number is straightforward.
With neither team having meaningful playoff implications at this point in the season, the motivational edge also tilts toward Memphis. The Grizzlies are trying to snap a losing streak and will be rested and ready. Chicago has been grinding through a road trip with a banged-up roster and faces a quick turnaround in a game the organization may not be prioritizing from a lineup management standpoint.
Betting Trends – CHI vs MEM
- Chicago is 4-1 straight-up and against the spread over the last five all-time meetings.
- Memphis won the most recent contest in November 2024.
- The Bulls went 2-3 straight-up and 3-2 against the spread on their five-game West Coast road trip.
- Memphis is on a seven-game losing streak entering tonight.
- Five of the Grizzlies' last six games have gone over the total.
- Chicago has been a favorite just once in its last ten games and lost that contest by 16 points.
- The total has climbed from 239.5 to 242.5 across the pricing window.
- Public money tracked as high as 100% on Memphis from Sunday night through the early Monday hours before settling at 82% dollars and 67% tickets on the Grizzlies.
- Sharp money arrived on the Under as the total climbed past 242, rotating public tracking from 100% Over to 96% Under by Monday morning.
Key Injuries and Notes – CHI vs MEM
Chicago Bulls
- Jaden Ivey – Out
- Anfernee Simons – Out
- Isaac Okoro – Doubtful (leg injury)
- Collin Sexton – Questionable (leg injury)
Memphis Grizzlies
- Santi Aldama – Out for the season
- Scotty Pippen Jr. – Out
- Ja Morant – Out
- Zach Edey – Out
- Brandon Clarke – Out
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Out
- GG Jackson – Questionable
- Ty Jerome – Questionable
- Walter Clayton Jr. – Questionable
Both rosters are operating with injury reports that would give any handicapper pause. Memphis is without a significant portion of its rotation, including Ja Morant, which has been the defining reality of this losing streak. Chicago is missing Ivey and Simons in the backcourt and is dealing with leg injury concerns for Okoro and Sexton. The combined depth losses on both sides reinforce the case for a high-scoring, sloppy game where remaining players log heavy minutes — which aligns with the total climbing to 242.5 and the five-of-six-over trend for Memphis entering tonight.
Grizzlies vs Bulls ATS and Total Picks
Laying six points with a home team that just returned from a five-game West Coast road trip, in a game with no real stakes for either side, against an opponent with fresher legs and a travel advantage — that is not a recipe for a comfortable cover. The line has moved from 4.5 all the way to 6.5 at its peak, almost entirely on the back of public Bulls action, while sharp money has been consistently on Memphis throughout the overnight window. The reverse-line movement pattern here is clear and has been sustained across multiple pricing entries. Memphis getting a six-point head start against a fatigued Chicago team is the play.
On the total, the Over is well supported by Memphis's recent trend and the thin defensive rotations both teams will be deploying. Five of the Grizzlies' last six games have gone over, and with multiple starters and key rotation pieces out on both sides, there is very little defensive structure available to keep this one in check. The sharp rotation toward the Under as the number climbed past 242 is worth noting, but the structural argument for points — two short-handed rosters playing without playoff pressure — lands on the Over side of 242.5.
- ATS Pick: Memphis Grizzlies +6 (-118)
- Total Pick: Over 242.5 (-115)
Final Score Prediction
Chicago wins at home, but the Bulls' road fatigue and depleted backcourt prevent them from pulling away against a Memphis team that is rested and motivated to snap its losing streak. The game stays competitive deep into the fourth quarter and finishes well over the total as both shorthanded rosters struggle to defend in extended possessions.
Projected Final Score: Bulls 125, Grizzlies 121
How to Bet Bulls vs Grizzlies Tonight
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