The Memphis Grizzlies (55-23) visit Salt Lake City Tuesday to play the Utah Jazz (46-32). Tip-off at the Vivint Arena is set for 9 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Grizzlies vs. Jazz odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Memphis enters on a 7-game winning streak – 6-1 against the spread (ATS) – with the latest being a 122-114 upset victory as a 7.5-point home underdog versus the Phoenix Suns Friday.
Utah is 1-6 straight up (SU) and 0-7 ATS in the last 7 games, most recently losing as a 2.5-point favorite at the Golden State Warriors 111-107 Saturday.
The Grizzlies are 2-0 SU and ATS versus the Jazz this season and the Over is 7-0 in the last seven Grizzlies-Jazz meetings.
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Grizzlies at Jazz odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:23 p.m. ET.
- Money line (ML): Grizzlies +190 (bet $100 to win $190) | Jazz -240 (bet $240 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Grizzlies +5.5 (-107) | Jazz -5.5 (-115)
- Over/Under: 225.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
Grizzlies at Jazz key injuries
Grizzlies
- SF Dillon Brooks (hip) doubtful
- PG Ja Morant (knee) out
Jazz
- None
[tipico]
Grizzlies at Jazz odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Jazz 116, Grizzlies 107
Money line
PASS. I’m confident the Jazz (-240) win, but the price is too expensive, especially considering the Grizzlies (+190) are 20-2 SU without Morant.
However, Utah’s huge flaw defensively is its inability to stay in front of ball handlers. Memphis will most likely be without its two best shot creators and penetrators in Morant and Brooks, who leads the Grizzlies in adjusted on/off net rating at plus-8.2, according to CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG).
Memphis’s offense will be far less efficient running through SG Desmond Bane and PF Jaren Jackson Jr. Without Morant and Brooks breaking down the Jazz’s defense and finding open shooters, I don’t see how the Grizzlies get good looks.
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Against the spread
BET JAZZ -5.5 (-115) for 1 unit because the Grizzlies +5.5 (-110), based on the analysis above, feels like a trap line.
According to Tipico Sportsbook, roughly 75% of the action is on Memphis, but the line hasn’t budged off the opener. This line freeze suggests the oddsmakers want more pro-Memphis money and the last thing we want to do as bettors is fall into the House’s trap.
Also, Utah has been downright terrible lately, which makes me feel even stronger about the JAZZ -5.5 (-115). Over the past two weeks, Utah is 26th in adjusted net rating (minus-9.1) and last in ATS margin (minus-9.8), per CTG.
UTAH -5.5 (-115) all the way up to -6.5 is the play.
Over/Under
LEAN UNDER 225.5 (-107).
A vast majority of the market is betting the Over and the total has been steamed way up from the 221-point opener despite Memphis’ backcourt absences.
It’s only a LEAN to the UNDER 225.5 (-107) since Utah is 6-0 O/U in the last 6 games versus teams with a winning record and Memphis is 11-1 O/U in the last 11 versus winning teams.
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