The Utah Jazz are clinging onto a top seed in the Western Conference but are clearly struggling without their best players.
They have seen numerous players in and out of the lineup, including Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. The roster struggles have caused them to drop three in a row and nine of 11.
Now they have to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies, who have split their last six games but won 11 straight before that. Taking a look at this NBA game betting preview, which team is the best bet versus NBA odds?
- Game: Utah Jazz (30-19) at Memphis Grizzlies (33-17)
- Location: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
- Day/Time: Friday, 8 p.m. ET
- Television: BSSE
Utah Jazz at Memphis Grizzlies
Still Shorthanded
Even though it seems like the Jazz are starting to get healthier, they are still without their best two players. Gobert was officially ruled out for this contest with a calf injury and Mitchell isn’t expected to be available due to a concussion.
Mitchell has been the best offensive player when healthy, averaging 25.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists.
Gobert is one of the most dominant forces on the defensive end. He averages the most rebounds in the league and second most blocks per game.
At the end of the day, if you bet online, you know how important stars are to teams. One player makes all of the difference. For the Jazz, they’re learning this the hard way.
If they have hopes to beating Memphis, guys like Conley, Joe Ingles and Rudy Gay will need to play bigger roles.
Grizzlies Lean on Morant
It’s not surprising that the Grizzlies would lean upon their best offensive weapon. Ja Morant has been a stellar player all season, recently getting named an All-Star starter for the first time in his young career.
The guard is averaging 25.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists. Other players like Desmond Bane have been huge as well. Bane is still a very young player in this league, but he has proven to be a wonderful partner with Morant, averaging 17.8 points. Memphis is the fifth-best offensive team in the league and the top rebounding team. Without Gobert, the Jazz will be limited.
Gobert’s Absence Makes Grizzlies the Favorites
If both of these teams were fully healthy, the line would likely be a lot different. However, Utah is going to be missing two of its best players and is on a losing streak.
On top of that, Memphis is the best rebounding team in the league. With Gobert out, the Jazz will have a tough time on the boards, losing 15 rebounds per game.
The Grizzlies should dominate the glass and hold Utah to rough offensive stretches if Mitchell can’t go. Memphis looks a lot more enticing as a bet in the sportsbook.
As for the over/under, it is set at 226. It seems likely to hit the over because Memphis has been great offensively the last few months and that, combined with the absence of Gobert’s rim protection, just makes for a high scoring outcome.
