The Utah Jazz close out their regular season with a trip to FedEx Forum this Wednesday night to face the Memphis Grizzlies in a must-win situation to keep their playoff hopes alive. This Western Conference showdown is set to tip off at 8 p.m. (ET), and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

The Jazz were able to take the race with the Los Angeles Lakers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West right down to the wire with Monday night’s 96-80 romp over Minnesota as 4.5-point road favorites. The total has now stayed “under” in four of their last five games.

Memphis comes into this contest with an 8-2 straight up record in its last 10 games and 6-3-1 record against the spread. It beat Dallas 103-97 on Monday night as a 3.5-point road favorite with the total going “over” the 187-point line. The total had stayed under in eight previous games. 

Jazz at Grizzlies Betting Storylines

Utah has been playing like a playoff team down the stretch with an 8-2 SU (6-4 ATS) record in its last 10 games as well. Al Jefferson scored 22 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the win over the Timberwolves as compared to his team-high 17.8 points and 9.1 rebounds average on the year. Mo Williams and Randy Foye have also been able to elevate their games during this recent run, adding even more balance on the offensive side of the ball.

Overall, the Jazz are averaging 98.4 points a game while shooting 45.6 percent from the field. They have also done a fairly good job under the boards with 42 rebounds while holding opponents to an average of 98.2 points a game. This is the kind of team that can hang with anyone in the league when playing up to its potential.

The Grizzlies would love to use this game as an opportunity to give their bench some additional playing time, but a win coupled with a loss by the Clippers in one of their two final games would move Memphis into the No.4 seed in the West; giving it the home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. That means the trio of Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol will still see their fair share of minutes in this regular season finale.

It is no surprise that Memphis remains one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league, especially after trading away its leading scorer, Rudy Gay, earlier in the season. That has not been as big of a factor as you would think considering that the Grizzlies remain ranked first in the league in points allowed in giving up an average of just 89.5 points a game. They have also been solid under the boards with an average of 42.6 rebounds led by Randolph’s team-high 11.1 a game.

Jazz at Grizzlies NBA Betting Odds and Trends

Memphis has been opened by BetOnline as a 6.5-point home favorite for this matchup with the over/under set at 183.5

The Jazz are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games playing on one day’s rest. The total has stayed under in five of their seven games against a team with a winning record.

The Grizzlies are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games against a team with a winning record but 3-1-1 ATS in their last five games following a SU win. The total has stayed under in nine of their last 11 home games.

Utah has gone 14-6 ATS in the last 20 meetings between the two and 8-3 ATS in the last 11 games played in Memphis. The total has stayed under in eight of the last 11 meetings overall. The Grizzlies are 2-1 both SU and ATS in this season’s series.

Jazz at Grizzlies Picks and Betting Predictions

It will be a playoff-like atmosphere at FedEx Forum on Wednesday night with so much on the line for both teams. Utah’s current form and sense of urgency will almost guarantee that this game remains close right down to the final buzzer, and while the Jazz may not come away with the SU win they so desperately need, they will cover with the 6.5 points.

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