The Utah Jazz are looking to put an end to their three-game losing streak when they face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. The team could be getting Donovan Mitchell back for this contest, so Jazz fans will be hoping that his return can energize their squad.
Will Utah come away with a big road win at FedExForum? Continue reading our Jazz vs. Grizzlies NBA picks and predictions for January 28.
Jazz vs Grizzlies odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Grizzlies were 3-point favorites when this line first became available, but they have since moved to 2.5-point favorites on some books. Some of that likely has to do with Donovan Mitchell being upgraded to questionable in this game. Meanwhile, the total in this game opened at 224 and has gone up to 224.5 on a few sites.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Jazz vs Grizzlies predictions
Predictions made on 1/28/2022 at 2:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Jazz vs Grizzlies game info
• Location: FedEx forum, Memphis, TN
• Date: Friday, January 28, 2022
• Tip-off: 8:00 p.m. ET
• TV: BSSE, SNRM
Jazz vs Grizzlies betting preview
Injuries
Jazz: Rudy Gobert C (Out), Donovan Mitchell G (Questionable).
Grizzlies: Tyus Jones G (Out), Kyle Anderson F (Out), Dillon Brooks G (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Grizzlies are 11-3 against the spread in their last 14 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Jazz vs. Grizzlies.
Jazz vs Grizzlies picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
The Grizzlies are 14-3 straight-up and 13-4 against the spread in their last 17 games, and they now get the Jazz without Gobert. Mitchell could ultimately end up returning for the Jazz in this game, but that wouldn’t exactly mean that Utah is the better team than Memphis here. This Grizzlies team is loaded with talent, with Ja Morant arguably being better than Mitchell at this point. Also, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane are unbelievable fits with Morant, with Jackson being a mobile big that can shoot the three and Bane being one of the best shooters in basketball.
Memphis’ offense is sometimes impossible to stop, as the Grizzlies are eighth in the league in offensive rating. They also happen to be going against a Jazz team that just can’t isn’t all that great at preventing people from getting into the paint. With Gobert out there, that wouldn’t be as big of a problem. But there’s a significant drop-off between Gobert and backup Hassan Whiteside, making it hard to imagine the Jazz finding a way to stop this Grizzlies team.
The Grizzlies also happen to be ninth in the NBA in defensive rating this year, so it’s not like they’ll be making things easy on the Jazz. Memphis has the luxury of putting a guy like De’Anthony Melton on Mitchell for stretches, which would bother Mitchell and also give the Grizzlies’ best players a chance to relax a bit on the floor.
It’s just not fair to ask Utah to win this game outright, and that’s essentially what the team would need to do with a spread this small.
Prediction: Grizzlies -2.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The Jazz have played a couple of low-scoring games in the last few weeks, and the Grizzlies have gone Under in each of their last two games. These teams should, however, snap out of that and put up a decent amount of points in this spot. The Grizzlies are going to get theirs against a Jazz team that is missing Gobert in this one, and the Jazz will have enough firepower to put up a decent number with Mitchell back out there.
Memphis is ninth in the league in pace of play this season, so the Grizzlies are going to try to get out and run. That’s the way Morant likes to play, and the Grizzlies love their transition opportunities.
The Over also happens to be 10-1 in the last 11 meetings between these two teams, and it’s 6-0 in Memphis’ last six games against teams with winning records.
Prediction: Over 224 (-110)
Best bet
Whether or not Mitchell is playing, the Grizzlies represent good value in this game. As long as Morant is out there with a majority of his supporting cast, Memphis is just a great bet to win games at home. The Grizzlies are also 16-7 against the spread when coming off a road game on the year, and they have won those games by an average of 6.8 points per game. Memphis is also 8-0 against the spread when coming off a division game on the year.
Mitchell is a fantastic offensive player, but he can also be inefficient at times. He’s also a negative on the defensive end, which is tough for Utah to mask with Gobert sidelined. Overall, this Grizzlies team is just a machine on the offensive end, and it’s hard to envision a scenario in which Memphis doesn’t pick Utah apart here.
Pick: Grizzlies -2.5 (-110)
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