The Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz will tip off their seven-game series at Vivint Arena on Sunday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Grizzlies-Jazz prediction and pick.
The first-ever postseason meeting between these two clubs will feature a David versus Goliath type of matchup. The young and exciting Grizzlies will take on the experienced and not-as-exciting Utah Jazz. The two styles of play will clash in a crucial first-round Western Conference playoff series.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the Grizzlies-Jazz odds.
NBA Odds: Grizzlies-Jazz Odds
Memphis Grizzlies +9 (-110)
Utah Jazz -9 (-110)
Over 217 Points (-115)
Under 217 Points (-105)
Why The Grizzlies Could Cover The Spread
The Grizzlies had their backs up against the wall heading into the play-in tournament as they needed two straight wins just to advance to the postseason. After squeaking by with a four-point win against the San Antonio Spurs in the first game, the Grizzlies then handed Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors a crushing overtime defeat. Memphis is now ready to show that the two play-in wins will work in its favor with some added momentum coming into the first round.
Ja Morant put the league on notice by outplaying Steph and the Warriors. Morant led his club with 35 points, six boards, six assists, and four steals in the win. He sealed the deal with a clutch basket to make it a two-score game with seconds left in overtime. Ja showed the league that Memphis does in fact possess a closer with a clutch gene. With the way that he and Jonas Valanciunas have been playing lately, the Grizzlies will be no pushover for the Jazz in the first round.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
The Jazz have been the best team in all of basketball for most of the season. After the turmoil that this team went through last year, it seemed that the team was destined to split. Veterans were becoming more injury-prone and the chemistry was dying a slow and painful death. Thankfully for Utah, the exact opposite took place. Mike Conley became much more comfortable leading this offense in his second season and his teammates maintained their elite efficiency.
Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell (who's returning from an injury) have regained their chemistry and have been lethal on the floor together this season. Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic have been Swiss Army knives for the Jazz and have spread the floor with elite outside shooting. Utah has been overlooked because of a relative lack of excitement, but this is the deepest team in basketball with a route to the Western Conference Finals. The Jazz will come out shooting the lights out from deep and smothering on the defensive end.
Final Grizzlies-Jazz Prediction & Pick
I certainly appreciate the run Memphis has made, and I look forward to watching this team build in the future. It's great that they get a taste of the postseason so guys like Ja Morant can continue to put the league on notice. In this game and this series, though, it'll be the Jazz that put the league on notice. Utah is ready to make a deep run in the playoffs and will use this series to get the ball rolling. The Jazz have the edge in all aspects of the game and will play efficient basketball throughout.
FINAL PICK: Utah Jazz -9 (-110)
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