Jazz vs. Grizzlies Odds: Game 5 Preview, Picks, & Predictions
Sloan Piva is on fire after finishing 2-0 Tuesday night. Find out who Piva is betting on today as he previews Jazz vs. Grizzlies Game 5 odds and breaks down NBA betting tips, picks, and predictions.
Jazz vs. Grizzlies Game 5 Odds
| Grizzlies Odds | +9.5 |
| Jazz Odds | -9.5 |
| Moneyline | +380/-525 |
| Over/Under | 225.5 |
| Time | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBATV |
Jazz vs. Grizzlies Game 5 Preview
Sophomore sensation Ja Morant and his Memphis Grizzlies started their Round 1 playoff series against the Jazz in style, with a 112-109 Game 1 upset in Utah. But since fourth-year stud and two-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell returned from injury in Game 2, the top-seeded Jazz have won out. Now they get the chance to finish the gentleman’s sweep at home, and rest up for the winner of the Clippers-Mavs series.
With its best scorer back in action, there has been little doubt that Utah will be headed for the Western Conference Semifinals. Coach Quin Snyder has a great system, a fantastic all-around team, and a will to win that Memphis just cannot rival.
The Jazz can break a team down from every layer of the game. They move the ball effortlessly, and space the floor as well as any team in the NBA. They have a handful of guys capable of going on a tear from distance, and just as many slashers and interior scorers. They can defend on the perimeter, and beyond the three-point line, and also protect the rim better than anyone. They are bona fide contenders.
Mitchell is the flashiest player on the squad, and probably the most popular now that he’s a back-to-back All-Star. But this Utah team isn’t about flash. As Aristotle (or someone) said, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Rudy Gobert is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-NBA selection, and just keeps getting better at protecting the rim (yet somehow, he’s just a two-time All-Star). Jordan Clarkson has enjoyed a career resurgence with the Jazz, winning the Sixth Man of the Year. Mike Conley has also revived his career, and has put together a campaign many believe should have earned him an All-Star nod.
Then there’s Bojan Bogdanovic, who can catch fire from deep at any moment. Royce O’Neal might be the most underrated three-and-D players in hoops. Joe Ingles has gotten old on us, but he’s still as pesky a bugger as any bench player in the league, and you can’t possibly leave him open from deep. Hell, even Derrick Favors and Georges Niang make the most of their limited minutes.
The best part of Utah is the fact that every one of its players knows their role on the team. Forget Monty Williams and Tom Thibodeau, Snyder deserves NBA Coach of the Year. The Jazz are what young teams like the Grizzlies wish they could one day become. And tonight, they will be what ends the Grizzlies’ valiant 2020-’21 run.
NBA Pick ATS: Jazz -9.5
Make no mistake: Memphis has a very, very promising future. Morant is one of the most athletic young players in the game, and one of the most impressive 21-year old scorers of the past couple decades. He’s joined by standout big man Jaren Jackson Jr., who finally looks to be back to full health, and center Jonas Valančiūnas, an utter warrior down low.
But Morant needs the plethora of wing scorers around him to develop before these Grizzlies make a real splash in the NBA stream (excuse the bearish metaphor). While the Jazz have a core identity with every player serving a purpose, the Grizzlies have Morant, JJJ, Valančiūnas, and a whole bunch of question marks.
Dillon Brooks has shown flashes of brilliance throughout this series, and he has surprised us all with his slashing athleticism. But he’s not much of a defender, he rarely creates for his teammates, and his jumper remains inconsistent. Kyle ‘SloMo’ Anderson had a great regular season, but he seems to be in super slo-mo against the Jazz. De’Anthony Melton and Desmond Bane look like they will be great one day, but they’re not ready for consistently impactful postseason minutes just yet. And has anyone seen Brandon Clarke? Maybe check the milk cartons, or the Post Office walls?
Long story short, Utah is better than Memphis by a lot. I wouldn’t empty my 401k into the Jazz -9.5, but I’ll probably toss their -510 moneyline into a parlay. And I’m not interested in the over/under of 225 (maybe I just hate over/unders in bball?)—but I am, however, very intrigued by the halftime odds.
Take your pick with the halftime spread, because in my eyes it’s a buffet of betting goodness. I like the OVER 110.5 total at the half. I like Utah’s -330 first-half moneyline, as well as their -5.5 first-half spread. Does anyone doubt that the Jazz will get off to a hot start at home in a close-out game? They want to rest Mitchell and avoid the potential of injury/reinjury via a series extension. They want to watch their next opponents play out the rest of their first-round series, and prepare for them in the semis.
Like I said, the Jazz are a complete team. And tonight, the complete team will cruise to a big early lead over the young, incomplete team, and advance to the next round. Ja Morant may be the most hyped-up young player in the NBA right now, but I’ll take a solid rotation of eight over one future superstar every single time.
HALFTIME PREDICTION: Jazz 61-53
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Jazz 112-107
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