The Memphis Grizzlies are on one.
Grit N Grind's rebirth has won eight of its last nine games, including stealing Game 1 from the Utah Jazz, 112-109 as 8.5-point dogs on the road.
But that game had several factors working against the West's No. 1 seed, and Memphis may not be such an appealing NBA betting option for Game 2. Find out why with our Grizzlies vs. Jazz picks and predictions for Wednesday, May 26.
Grizzlies vs Jazz game info
• Location: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
• Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2021
• Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT
Grizzlies vs Jazz odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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NBA Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonThe Jazz opened as low as -7.5 for Game 2 and have climbed as high as 10-point chalk at some operators. FanDuel sportsbooks are actually reporting 71 percent of spread bets taking the points with Memphis and 64 percent of the money riding on the underdog. The total for this game hit the board at 217 and has risen to 219, with 84 percent of total wagers on the Over and 88 percent of the O/U handle banking on a high-scoring game.
Check out the full line movement for this gameGrizzlies vs Jazz series odds
Grizzlies: +300
Jazz: -380
Grizzlies vs Jazz betting preview
Injuries
Grizzlies: No injuries to report.
Jazz: Ersan Ilyasova PF (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Jazz are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 home games vs. a team with a winning record. Find more NBA betting trends for Grizzlies vs. Jazz.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
The Grizzlies managed to steal Game 1, but under some fairly anomalous circumstances that don't bode extremely well for their chances in Game 2's matchup.
The first, obviously, was the absence of Donovan Mitchell, who was set to return from a five-week ankle-related layoff, and kept on the shelf last-minute by team doctors. The effect was apparent early, as the Jazz struggled to test Memphis' D without their top scorer.
Then, Memphis got Rudy Gobert in foul trouble, benching the Jazz's other best player. Gobert sat for crucial stretches in both the third and fourth quarters, playing just 25 minutes before fouling out. As a result, Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks were able to attack the rim at will without the NBA's soon-to-be Defensive Player of the Year patrolling the paint.
Rudy is an elite defender against pretty much any lineup, but particularly so against Memphis, who led the NBA in both points in the paint and second-chance buckets in the regular season, two things Gobert snuffs out better than anyone in the league.
Finally, the Jazz couldn't hit a 3-pointer to save their lives for the first three quarters. Utah – who, for argument's sake led the NBA in threes per game and was third in 3-point shooting percentage – puked up a 12-for-47 performance from long range, including a ton of open looks. It was one of their worst shooting games of the season and should just be regarded as bad variance from a team so disciplined.
Morant and Brooks were spectacular for Memphis, but if any of the above three things doesn't happen, they probably lose Game 1. Having all of them in place will swing the odds heavily in Utah's favor, and this well-tuned Jazz instrument will be taking no chances of going down 0-2. We're placing our bets accordingly.
PREDICTION: Utah -8.5 (-110)
Over/Under pick
The Jazz can be a delicate proposition with the Over/Under, as they beat teams on both sides of the ball, ranking in the Top-5 on both offense and defense. Against a squad like Memphis that isn't particularly weak on either end, it's tough to tell which edge they'll flex.
On one side, having Gobert play full minutes will disrupt Memphis' attack and deter so many of the easy buckets they conjured with Derrick Favors at the rim. On the other hand, Utah is a mortal lock to shoot better from long range, and will have their top scorer back to push the total along.
Memphis was on a serious Under streak down the season's home stretch, hitting in six of their final seven games before the play-in. But that could be considered a market correction after they were one of the NBA's top-scoring teams for the prior month. On the season, these teams averaged a combined 229.4 points. Thus, this prop becomes a question of whether you think Utah's D and a playoff tempo account for the margin.
We're betting no. Memphis won't score at the rim as easily, but they move the ball well for such a young team, and have a small army of competent scorers who can hit open looks when Morant is walled off.
And the Jazz will without question be better offensively, forcing the Grizzlies' onus to score in what should be a neutrally-paced game. Game 1 went over this total even with Utah vomiting from long range. We're confident it can happen again.
PREDICTION: Over 218 (-110)
Player prop pick
Kyle Anderson really came into his own this year, and has not only become a far more capable shooter but shown increasing primacy in creating his own shot from just about anywhere.
Formerly a tentative pass-first player, Anderson now picks his spots precisely and has become a master at exploiting gaps in the defense with his length and highly unorthodox tempo.
He's been particularly potent down the stretch, averaging 14.4 points in his past 10 games, as Jaren Jackson Jr. has yet to re-establish himself as one of the team's main options.
Morant and Brooks are sure to be targeted on D in Game 2, especially with how soundly Morant abused Mike Conley off the bounce. Anderson is well-equipped to punish defenders who help off him too liberally and is a good bet to surpass this low total.
PREDICTION: Kyle Anderson Over 11.5 points (-120)
Grizzlies vs Jazz betting card
- Utah -8.5 (-110)
- Over 218 (-110)
- Kyle Anderson Over 11.5 points (-120)
Picks made on 5/25/2021 at 1:10 p.m. ET
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