NBA Championship Indicator Stat Doesn't Bode Well for Grizzlies Bettors

The Memphis Grizzlies are the darlings of this NBA season.

Led by Ja Morant's superstar transformation, they've posted the best against the spread record in the league this year and currently have the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

WynnBET Sportsbook has Memphis all the way down to +1200 to win the NBA Finals, but there's one key NBA Championship indicator that Grizzlies' bettors should be concerned about.

Three-Point Shooting Percentage

Nine of the previous 10 teams that won the NBA Finals finished the regular season ranked in the top nine in three-point shooting percentage.

The lone exception? In the shortened bubble season in 2019-2020, the Los Angeles Lakers won the Finals despite ranking just 21st in three-point shooting. So all you need is LeBron James and Anthony Davis and you can overcome poor shooting. Easy enough.

But even then, the Lakers' Finals opponent (Miami) finished second, so the NBA Finals were still heavily swayed by three-point shooting prowess.

Unfortunately, that's bad news for the lovable, upstart Grizzlies. Memphis ranks 19th this year in three-point shooting percentage (35%). While they have capable shooters like Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks, they haven't found the kind of success as a team that seems required for a deep postseason run.

Here are the top ten teams in three-point shooting as of today:

• Miami Heat (37.7%)

• Atlanta Hawks (37.3%)

• Los Angeles Clippers (37.2)

• Chicago Bulls (36.8%)

• Milwaukee Bucks (36.7%)

• Phoenix Suns (36.6%)

• Golden State Warriors (36.4%)

• Charlotte Hornets (36.3%)

• Utah Jazz (36.2%)

• Brooklyn Nets (36.1%)

It's certainly possible the Grizzlies can overcome a decade of evidence, but the odds are stacked against them. As sportsbooks continue to lower Memphis' price to win it all, bettors may be wise to look instead at teams with more success from beyond the arc.

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.