Two of the NBA’s small-market teams are set to meet in the first round of this year’s NBA playoffs. After winning twice in the play-in tournament to clinch the eighth seed, the Memphis Grizzlies have a tall task in front of them in the top-seeded Utah Jazz. After they claimed the best regular-season record in the league, many in the NBA betting community believe the Jazz should get through this series unscathed. However, the Grizzlies are the last team to count out when it comes to heart and grit.
This Grizzlies – Jazz NBA betting series preview will explore the best NBA betting odds, provide some key betting trends and offer the top NBA betting picks and predictions for this Round 1 Playoffs matchup.
NBA Betting Preview: Picks, Odds & Betting Trends | NBA Playoffs Round 1
Grizzlies vs. Jazz Series Info
(8) Memphis Grizzlies (40-34) vs. (1) Utah Jazz (52-20)
Game 1: Sunday, 5/23, 9:30 EST, TNT
Game 2: Wednesday, 5/26, 10 EST, TNT
Game 3: Saturday, 5/29, TBD, ESPN
Game 4: Monday, 5/31, TBD, TNT
*Game 5: Tuesday, 6/1, TBD
*Game 6: Thursday, 6/3, TBD
*Game 7: Saturday, 6/5, TBD
* If necessary
Grizzlies vs. Jazz NBA Betting Odds
Odds for Grizzlies vs. Jazz NBA Playoffs Round 1 series are from PointsBet.
Series Winner: MEM: (+725) | UTA: (-1301)
Series Total Game
- 4 Games (+325)
- 5 Games (+175)
- 6 Games (+260)
- 7 Games: (+285)
Series Correct Score
Jazz
- 4-0 (+350)
- 4-1 (+200)
- 4-2 (+350)
- 4-3 (+450)
Grizzlies
- 4-0 (+8000)
- 4-1 (+2500)
- 4-2 (+1600)
- 4-3 (+12000)
Grizzlies vs. Jazz NBA Playoffs Preview
After wins over both the Spurs and Warriors in elimination games this week, the Grizzlies have now won seven of their last eight coming into this series. Ja Morant was spectacular in Friday’s overtime upset of the Warriors. He had been plagued by inconsistency all season, but he showed up when the Grizzlies needed him most. Morant’s performance followed up a massive effort from center Jonas Valanciunas in the first play-in game on Wednesday. A double-double machine all season long, Valanciunas scored 23 points, hauled in 23 rebounds and blocked three shots for good measure. Beyond Morant and Valanciunas, the Grizzlies are a feisty young bunch. What they may lack in talent and experience they make up for with effort. Keep an eye on Kyle Anderson in this series.
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The Jazz tore out of the gates to begin the NBA betting season, establishing what turned out to be an insurmountable lead for the best record in the Western Conference. The Suns gave it a run down the stretch but ultimately had to settle for the second seed. Of course, Utah backcourt stars Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley were both sidelined over the final few weeks of the season. Both players have unsurprisingly been removed from the injury report and will be good to go for Game 1. In their absence, the talented depth of the Jazz roster was on full display. Quin Snyder has a gifted scorer in Jordan Clarkson and a do-it-all utilityman in Joe Ingles at his disposal. Center Rudy Gobert is a shot-blocking machine down low. The battle between him and Valanciunas should be a fun one to watch.
Grizzlies vs. Jazz NBA Betting Trends
- Grizzlies are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games as an NBA betting underdog.
- Grizzlies are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games following an outright win.
- Jazz are just 1-5 ATS in their last six playoff games as a betting favorite.
- Under is 6-1 in the Grizzlies’ last seven games.
- Over is 4-1 in the last five head-to-head meetings between the Grizzlies and Jazz.
- Over is 5-0 in the last five Grizzlies vs. Jazz head-to-head matchups in Utah.
Grizzlies vs. Jazz Prediction
The Grizzlies deserve all the credit in the world for getting this far. Unfortunately, Memphis just doesn’t have the talent and firepower to keep up with the best team in the NBA. Where things do get tricky for NBA betting here is in terms of momentum. The Grizzlies not only have been playing games this week, but they’ve been a complete team for the better part of the last month. Meanwhile, Game 1 of this series will be the first back for two key Jazz players in Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley. At most, the Grizzlies will win a single game in this series. Even if they steal Game 1, the Jazz should get their act together and avoid losing Game 3. It will probably be closer to a sweep than it extending to six.
Series Prediction: Jazz 4, Grizzlies 1
Grizzlies vs. Jazz Best Bet
Series Correct Score: Jazz 4-1 (+200) at PointsBet
There is a lot less disparity in the total games NBA betting odds for this series than there are for the other Western Conference matchups. Because Utah is a heavy favorite, there is also no sense looking at an outright price. That leaves predicting the correct score, and the Jazz to win in five games offers a handsome 2-1 payout. The Grizzlies have enough heart and young talent to avoid a sweep, but nothing more. Memphis will earn their lone win in either Game 1 or Game 3 with Utah closing this one out in a timely fashion.
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