Utah Jazz at Memphis Grizzlies Game 4 Betting Preview/Player Prop
31 May 2021
Utah had the best record in the NBA during the regular season, and that gives them a home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Jazz were solid on the road in the regular season, and they came away with an impressive 121-111 win in Game 3.
Memphis stormed into Utah in Game 1 of the series and came away with a 112-109 victory. The Grizzlies are a young team, but they have proven that they are not afraid of taking on the mighty Jazz.
The Utah Jazz are five-point road favorites over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 of this playoff series.
Jazz Can Really Score
The Utah Jazz averaged more than 116 points per game during the regular season, and they can be tough to stop when they get rolling. Donovan Mitchell leads the way with 26.4 points per game, and he is a player that always seems to step up his play in the postseason.
Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles were both candidates for Sixth Man of the Year this season, and that gives Utah plenty of scoring on the bench. The Jazz have made nearly 17 three-pointers per game in this series, and that puts a ton of pressure on the Memphis defense.
On the defensive end, center Rudy Gobert anchors a defense that can shut down any opponent. Utah allowed just 108 points per game this season, which was the fifth-best in the NBA.
Memphis Must Slow Things Down
Memphis does not have the depth to keep up with the Utah Jazz, and they have to find a way to slow this game way down. The Grizzlies averaged just 113.3 points per game this season while holding opponents to under 111 points per game.
Ja Morant has been remarkable in his first postseason series, averaging 33.7 points and dishing out six assists per game. Memphis does most of its scoring from in the paint, and it is Morant that continually puts pressure on the Jazz defense.
The Grizzlies are making less than ten three-pointers per game, and that is an area that needs to improve as the series moves along. Memphis will try to win this game with defense, but they must make some shots as well.
Jazz Play Smooth In Victory
Memphis has been able to give the Jazz a tough battle in this series, but depth has played a key role in the last two games. The Grizzlies just don’t have a ton of bench scoring, and that is one of the specialties of this Jazz team.
Look for the Grizzlies to slow down the pace on Monday night, but the Jazz have proven that they can win games in a variety of ways. Utah will be hot from deep again in Game 4, and that will allow them to create some separation from the Grizzlies.
Memphis has been extremely competitive in this series, but they just don’t have enough depth to win this game. Bet the Utah Jazz -5.0 over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night as they pick up another win to take a 3-1 series lead.
Player Prop
Ja Morant (-105) Over 25.5 Points
Morant followed up his stellar rookie campaign with another solid season this year as he increased his scoring average from 17.8 ppg to 19.1 ppg even while his FG percentage, 3Pt percentage and FT percentage dropped.
But if the Grizzlies point guard was good during the regular season, he’s been spectacular in the postseason. He’s averaging 33.7 ppg through the first three games against the Jazz that included a 47-point outburst in Game 2. That total broke the Memphis playoff record set by Mike Conley and also made Morant the first player to score as many as 71 points in his first two playoff games since George Mikan in 1949.
The 21-year-old has also seen his FG percentage (51.4) and FT percentage (78.1) rise under the pressure of playoff basketball. With the Grizzlies needing a big game tonight to avoid falling into a 1-3 deficit against Utah, we’ll look for Morant (-105) to continue his hot playoff performance and go over 25.5 points.
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