The NBA season carries on with a week six matchup between the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies. Our NBA odds series continues with a Jazz-Grizzlies prediction and pick.
Although the Utah Jazz have experienced some regression relative to their start last season, they have seen some serious development from their young core—specifically, Keyonte George. George shined in their most recent game: a thrilling 114-112 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. In this contest, he put up a career-high 19 points and added five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. This all-around game by him is sure to be one of many. With this impressive output from the rookie and back-to-back wins over the Pelicans, the Jazz should feel great heading into their matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies.
To say that the season so far has been a disappointment for the Memphis Grizzlies would be an understatement. At a 3-13 record, Memphis holds the fourth-worst win percentage in the league and is in the middle of a four-game losing streak. Their most recent loss came at the hands of the red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves. The 119-97 defeat was not a pretty one. The Grizzlies could not buy a shot on offense, and with the exception of Jaren Jackson Jr., could not stop Minnesota from scoring. Jackson Jr. tallied three blocks on the night to accompany his 18-point effort. Memphis has not scored more than 97 points in their last three games, so they will need a significant offensive turnaround if they want to hang around with the Utah Jazz.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Jazz-Grizzlies Odds
Utah Jazz: +4.5 (-112)
Memphis Grizzlies: -4.5 (-108)
Over: 224 (-110)
Under: 224 (-110)
How to Watch Jazz vs. Grizzlies
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT
TV: Utah- KJZZ Memphis- Bally Sports Southeast
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
This game will come down to how one team can expose the weaknesses of the other. In the case of the Utah Jazz, they have to take advantage of their fully healthy roster. The Grizzlies come into this game with Xavier Tillman, Jake LaRavia, Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Steven Adams, and Brandon Clarke all ruled out. Six players who are fixtures in the rotation are out for this team, a type of production that cannot be made up for. Although the Jazz have a couple of key players who will not be suiting up, their roster as a whole is pretty healthy and is a major advantage for them in this matchup.
If anything, basing this game on trends this season shows that it will be all Utah. The Memphis Grizzlies have been horrendous on their home floor. Through eight games played at the FedEx Forum, the Grizzlies are 0-8. This is their worst home record through eight games in franchise history. The struggles Memphis has this year are very real. With an average point differential of 10.4 in these eight games, the Grizzlies are not just losing; they are getting run-through at home. With no improvements to be found over the last week, look for this game to have similar results.
Why The Grizzlies Could Cover The Spread
Similar to how the Jazz can cover in this game, it is all about exposing weaknesses for the Memphis Grizzlies to come out on top. It is surprising with the amount of depth Utah possesses in their backcourt, but ball security has been a real issue for them. At 17.5 turnovers per game, the Utah Jazz lead the league for the most turnovers. Starting point guard Jordan Clarkson has led the way for them with a staggering 3.1 turnovers per game, followed by three other players (George, Horton-Tucker, and Olynyk) averaging 2.0 or more turnovers. Memphis has not been particularly remarkable in creating turnovers, but against this Utah team, they will be there. This consistent sloppy play from Utah will be their Achilles' heel in this game.
Having reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. anchoring down the floor will always make an interior defense feared around the league. Amid their struggles, that remains the same for the Grizzlies. Memphis has had one of the best defenses within eight feet of the basket this season. Facing 33.1 shots per game from this range, the Grizzlies are limiting opponents to just a 54.3% field goal percentage. This is the third-best mark in the league. Matched up against a lineup dominated by bigs like John Collins and Walker Kessler, this presence will be the difference.
Final Jazz-Grizzlies Prediction & Pick
With these teams being so far removed from how they performed last year, unfortunately for fans, this game is not exactly a must-watch. However, both teams desperately need a win to begin their season turnaround, so this game will surely be hard-fought. The Grizzlies come into this one as banged up as can be with an injury report full of key players. On paper, with this depleted roster, the Jazz should clear. However, the Grizzlies are due, and I am going with them. Self-inflicted wounds when it comes to ball security mixed with the duo of Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane will lead to a much-needed win and cover by the Grizzles for their first home win of the season. Give me the Memphis Grizzlies against the spread in this one.
Final Jazz-Grizzlies Prediction & Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -4.5 (-108)
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