The Utah Jazz (28-32) head to Memphis to play the Grizzlies (36-24) in a game that will likely be low scoring. The game begins at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 4 and will air on RT and FxS.
The Grizzlies come into this game on a high note after beating the Kings 104-98 on Wednesday. Mike Conley was the game’s high scorer with 24 points on 9-for-12 shooting. The Jazz, meanwhile, are coming off a 104-94 loss to the Raptors on Wednesday. Gordon Hayward had a team-high 26 points.
Conley has taken his game to another level as of late for the Grizzlies, averaging 18.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.6 three-pointers over the last five games.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the NBA’s slowest-paced teams square off. Memphis ranks 26th in the league in possessions per game (95.5), while Utah is 30th (94.3).
The Jazz have won both matchups against the Grizzlies this season, including a 92-87 win the last time these two teams met. Rodney Hood was the game’s leading scorer with 32 points.
The Grizzlies enter the game with records of 36-24 Straight Up (SU) and 29-28-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 2-8 ATS over their last 10 games. Memphis has gotten to the free throw line often this season. They average 20 made free throws per game, which is fourth-best in the NBA. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of Memphis’s offense, which averages just 12.4 turnovers per game.
Over on the other bench, the Jazz have a record of 28-31-1 ATS and 28-32 SU. Utah has records of 28-32 SU and 28-31-1 ATS against the West. Offensively, the Jazz have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 97.9 points per game by averaging 107.2 during that stretch. Utah’s defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking fourth in the NBA with only 97.3 points allowed per game.
Utah won the last meeting this season between these two teams, but the Grizzlies still lead the head-to-head record, 6-4 SU, over the last 10 matchups. On the other hand, the Jazz lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mem
Notes
On average, Utah scores 97.9 points per game (ranked 26th), while Memphis gives up 99.5 points per game (ranked sixth).
Utah scores an average of 97.4 points per away game (ranked 24th), while Memphis gives up 101.1 points per home game (ranked 15th).
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Utah Jazz are a solid 25-9. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Memphis Grizzlies have an underachieving record of 9-19.
The Utah Jazz have an abysmal 3-23 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Memphis Grizzlies are 27-5 when they hit the century mark.
The Grizzlies have a defensive rating of 104.2 (ranked 16th), while the Jazz rank 13th for their offensive rating of 103.9.
Memphis has an average field goal percentage of 44.6%. Utah is a subpar 5-26 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
Memphis averages 18.0 three point attempts per game, and Utah attempts 23.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Grizzlies have a winning 3-1 record while the Jazz have a 10-13 record.
Memphis has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.70 this season (ranked 10th), while Utah ranks lower at 28th with an A/TO of 1.32.
Memphis is ranked 21st in offensive rebounding. Utah ranks 27th in defensive rebounds.
The Memphis Grizzlies earn an average of .0 steals per game and are ranked first. The Utah Jazz have a 28-32 record when they allow at least steals.
