The Utah Jazz (35-30) and the Memphis Grizzlies (18-46), who both like to play slow, will face off at FedExForum. The game will air on Fox Sports – Southeast at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, March 9, 2018.
Utah opened as a 9-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 198 points.
Utah Jazz at Memphis Grizzlies ATS Prediction
The Jazz will be looking for similar success after blowing out the Indiana Pacers in their last game, 104-84. Utah had an effective field goal percentage of 0.581 (above their season average of 0.522). Indiana, meanwhile, had an offensive rebounding percentage of 28.6 (above their season average of 22.2). With 23 points on 10-for-14 shooting, Rudy Gobert led Utah in scoring.
In the Grizzlies’ last matchup, they lost to the Chicago Bulls, 119-110. One of Chicago’s biggest advantages was getting to the free throw line. They had 32 free throw attempts, while Memphis had 25. Dillon Brooks had a good game for Memphis, leading both teams in scoring with 29 points on 10-for-18 shooting.
The inefficient offense of Memphis will square off against the stingy defense of Utah. The Grizzlies rank 27th in offensive efficiency, while the Jazz are fourth in defensive efficiency. The Jazz should have the edge on that end of the court.
Utah heads into the game with records of 35-30 straight up (SU) and 34-31 against the spread (ATS). Of the Jazz’s 65 games, 35 have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, Memphis is 18-46 SU and 27-34-3 ATS. Of the Grizzlies’ 64 games, 36 have finished under the O/U total.
Gobert and Ricky Rubio have played at a high level over the last five games for Utah. Gobert has averaged 18.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. Not to be outdone, Rubio has recorded 11.2 points, 6.4 assists and 1.6 steals a game during that span.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Rubio scored a game-high 29 points and the Jazz defeated the Grizzlies 92-88 but could not cover as 6.5-point favorites. He also recorded eight rebounds. The game finished with a total of 180 points, which was 19.5 points below the projected point total of 199.5 points. Utah did a fantastic job of getting to and converting from the charity stripe (28-33; 84.8 percent). Memphis, meanwhile, had a better turnover percentage (14.6 vs. 18.5).
Utah Jazz vs. Memphis Grizzlies Odds Pick
Free NBA Tip: SU Winner – Jazz, ATS Winner – Jazz, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Utah is 16-17 ATS with 17 overs, 15 unders and 1 push.
Memphis is 14-18-1 ATS at home with 22 unders and 11 overs.
Memphis is 11-10 when they hold opponents below 100 points, while Utah is 23-5.
In games where they score above 100 points, the Jazz are 27-11 and the Grizzlies are 13-18.
Utah ranks third in fast break points allowed per game (9.6) while Memphis ranks 25th (13.9).
The Jazz rank third in steals per game (8.7) while the Grizzlies rank 18th in steals allowed per game (7.9).
Utah ranks 12th in blocks per game (4.8) while Memphis ranks 24th in blocks allowed per game (5.3).
The Jazz average 16.6 points off turnovers per game, which ranks 13th in the league. The Grizzlies rank 20th in points off turnovers allowed per game (17.2).
Utah ranks 21st in rebounds per game (42.4) while Memphis ranks 28th (40.6).
The Jazz rank third in second chance points allowed per game (10.9) while the Grizzlies rank eighth (11.4).
Utah ranks first in assists allowed per game (19.9) while Memphis ranks sixth (21.3).
The Grizzlies are second in the league with 41.6 points allowed in the paint per game while the Jazz are fifth with 42.1 points allowed in the paint per game.
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Utah is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Memphis is 2-2-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Jazz’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.6, up from 2.0 for the season.
During their last five games, the Grizzlies have scored an average of 102.4 points per game (3.3 above their season average) and allowed an average of 108.8 points per game (5.0 above their season average).
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