Grizzlies Visit Chicago in Preseason Opener—Total Looks Bloated at 239.5

The Grizzlies roll into the United Center on Wednesday for what amounts to a glorified scrimmage, and the betting market seems to have forgotten this is October basketball. Both squads will trot out deep rotations—15 to 20 bodies getting burn—while the starters clock out after 18-25 minutes of feel-good work. That's not a recipe for offensive fireworks; it's a recipe for clunky possessions and third-stringers jacking contested threes.

Memphis and Chicago posted offensive ratings around 110-111 last season, but those numbers mean precisely nothing here. Different rosters, zero rhythm, coaches tinkering with lineups like they're solving a Rubik's Cube. Preseason games are laboratories, not shootouts. Yet the total sits at 239.5—practically regular-season territory when the league average hovers near 225. That's either lazy bookmaking or bait for square money chasing names on a roster sheet.

The sharp play is the under 239.5. Expect disjointed offense, experimental sets that go nowhere, and plenty of minutes for guys who'll be in the G League by Halloween. This isn't Morant versus LaVine for 35 minutes; it's camp bodies auditioning in garbage time. Fade the number, trust the preseason chaos, and cash a ticket while everyone else watches highlight dunks that don't move the scoreboard enough.