Signup

The Utah Jazz had the best record in the NBA during the regular season, but without All-Star and leading scorer Donovan Mitchell were stunned at home in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series vs. No. 8 Memphis. However, Mitchell will play in Game 2 on Wednesday and the Jazz are solid betting favorites.

How to Bet Grizzlies at Jazz NBA Odds & TV Info

When: Wednesday, 10 PM ET
Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT app
Radio:com

Why Bet on Memphis? | NBA Betting Odds

Remember, the Grizzlies had to win two NBA play-in tournament games just to reach the playoffs, and then they stunned Utah 112-109 on Sunday in Game 1.

Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant were brilliant for Memphis. Brooks had 31 points, 7 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. In his playoff debut, Brooks became the seventh player in the last 10 postseasons to score over 30 points. His 31 points one also represented a playoff record for a Memphis debut, breaking Marc Gasol’s record of 24 points set way back in 2011.

Morant took over in the fourth quarter to fend off the Jazz comeback bid, finishing with 26 points, four rebounds and four assists. He became one of nine players under the age of 22 to score 25 plus in his NBA Playoffs debut. Brooks and Morant became 4th set of teammates in NBA postseason history to both score 25+ points in their playoff debut & 1st since Chicago’s Ben Gordon & Andres Nocioni in 2005.

Kyle Anderson had a franchise playoff record and career-high six steals, also tacking on 14 points, four rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes of action. Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 12 rebounds. The 29-year-old has now posted six straight double-doubles dating back to May 6, a span in which he’s averaging 20.8 points, 14.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.

The Grizzlies’ Game 1 victory over Utah came 10 years after eighth-seeded Memphis defeated top-seeded San Antonio on the road, also by three points (101-98), in Game 1 of the First Round in the 2011 Playoffs. The No. 8 seed has held a 2-0 lead in a playoff series with the No. 1 seed just twice before: the Chicago Bulls over the Boston Celtics in 2017 (best-of-seven) and the Los Angeles Lakers over the Phoenix Suns in 1993 (best-of-five).

Memphis is the youngest team in the NBA Playoffs bracket. The Grizzlies (24.8 years) are the youngest team to make the NBA Playoffs since the 2010-11 Oklahoma City Thunder (23.7 years).

Why Bet on Utah? | NBA Betting Odds

Utah has now lost 6 straight playoff game 1s, the longest streak in franchise history. They are the 2nd franchise with multiple Game 1 losses as a 1 seed against an 8 seed.

The Jazz dropped the opener with All-Star and leading scorer Donovan Mitchell, who was upset after being a late scratch Sunday. Mitchell hasn’t played for the Jazz since April 16 due to that right ankle sprain. He practiced for the first time since his injury on May 20, and even participated in shootaround with the team Sunday morning. However, the team’s training staff had the final say and wouldn’t let him play. Mitchell will play in Game 2.

“For me, for my team, I was definitely frustrated and upset that I wasn’t able to play,” said Mitchell, an All-Star who averaged career bests of 26.4 points and 5.2 assists per game this season for the top-seeded Jazz. “I’m a competitor. I felt I was ready to go. I felt ready to go, and unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Utah was up as many as 14 in the second quarter Sunday but fell victim to a 28-9 run in favor of Memphis to close out the first half of action and that turned the tide. The Jazz’s Bojan Bogdanovic scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, missing a potential game-tying look from the top of the key as time expired in the loss. Mike Conley added 22 points and 11 assists. Rudy Gobert finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out for the first time this season.

Jordan Clarkson went 0-for-8 from 3-point range, ending a 94-game streak with a 3-pointer made. He has since been named NBA Sixth Man of the Year in beating out teammate Joe Ingles and the Knicks’ Derrick Rose. Clarkson led all the regular reserves in scoring with 18.3 points a night — including two 40-spots off the bench this season.

The Jazz had the best three-point shooting season in franchise history but were just 12-of-47 from 3-point range (.255) in Game 1. The Jazz turned the ball over 16 teams, leading to 15 points for the visitors.

“They wanted it and they really worked for this one,” Conley said. “We have to match that energy.”

Game Trends

Grizzlies are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 Wednesday games.
Grizzlies are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games as a road underdog.
Grizzlies are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up win.
Jazz are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as a home favorite.
Jazz are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Jazz are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 home games.