Grizzlies vs. Jazz prediction, odds, pick

The NBA season is finally back and we’ll be bringing you our betting prediction and picks for all the Tip-Off games around the Association. We’ll see Ja Morant return to action as well with the Memphis Grizzlies taking on the Utah Jazz in an opening night tilt for both teams. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a Grizzlies-Jazz prediction and pick.

The Memphis Grizzlies are coming into this season following their 13th-place finish in the Western Conference from a year ago after a season-ending injury to star Ja Morant. This season, they’re back with their leading man at the helm and they’re ready to make some noise after a dormant year last season.

The Utah Jazz will also look to improve this season following a 31-51 season and missing the playoffs last year. They’re returning most of their core players with the additions of some promising rookies, so this could be a year in which the Utah Jazz make some noise and sneak their way into a play-in situation.

Here are the Grizzlies-Jazz NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Grizzlies-Jazz Odds

Memphis Grizzlies: -3 (-110)

Moneyline: -148

Utah Jazz: +3 (-110)

Moneyline: +126

Over: 228 (-110)

Under: 228 (-110)

How To Watch Grizzlies vs Jazz

Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT

TV: Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports South

Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)

Why the Grizzlies Could Cover the Spread/Win

The Memphis Grizzlies are clearly looking to improve this season with Ja Morant back in action for them. Of course, the focus will be on keeping Morant healthy as we saw the collapse of this Memphis team with him on the bench. They should come into this season with a refreshed outlook as they’re bound to be a more explosive team with Morant at the point. Jaren Jackson Jr. won’t be ready to suit-up for opening night due to an illness, so expect rookie Zach Edey to build upon his impressive preseason as he looks to establish himself as their big man of the future.

The Grizzlies will also be returning key players like Brandon Clarke and Santi Aldama, who both averaged over 10 PPG last season and served as diverse big men spreading the front court. Aldama is likely to start for Jaren Jackson at the Power Forward spot, so expect him and Edey to work the glass and play their two-man game against the Jazz. While the Jazz may be the slightly more experienced team, the Grizzlies will have all the energy and angst of returning to their previous form.

Why the Jazz Could Cover the Spread/Win

The Utah Jazz will also be looking to improve on their mark from last season as they continue to adjust to life without Donovan Mitchell as their franchise star. Lauri Markkanen has quietly emerged as the statistical leader on this team and he’s made massive leaps in his game since joining this Utah squad. John Collins continues to hold down the Center position as Walker Kessler will look to make yet another improvement in his game heading into the new year. If the Jazz are able to remain healthy, they’ll be giving teams trouble in the paint all season.

Kyle Filipkowski is their most notable addition through the draft and it’ll be interesting to see how much the Jazz utilize him to start the season. He was a double-double machine while at Duke and given his NBA-ready build, he should see valuable playing time stepping up for injured players throughout the season. He’s currently listed third on their current depth chart, but expect him to slowly creep his way into a bench or starting role throughout this season.

Final Grizzlies-Jazz Prediction & Pick

This game will be very telling for how well the Memphis Grizzlies prepared during the offseason and it’ll be exciting to see Ja Morant finally return to game action. He has a small injury scare during the preseason, but we’re expecting him to return to previous form and once again lead this Grizzlies team to the top of the Western Conference.

The Utah Jazz are returning a number of key veterans like Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen, which should serve them well when introducing rookie Kyle Filipkowski or watching Keyontae George continue his development. While they don’t boast the best lineup on paper, this team is very deep and they’re likely to give starting units some issues with their bench players.

Still, I think Zach Edey will have a big impact in rebounding the ball during the game and the picks he sets for Ja Morant will open a whole new dimension of this offense. Let’s roll with the Grizzlies to find this opening night win as they cover the betting spread.

Final Grizzlies-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Memphis Grizzlies ML (-148)