Utah can start quickly through George's passing and its work on the offensive glass. Memphis has shown it can change the middle quarters with guard creation and open perimeter shots. The decisive exchange may come after one side pulls even late, when a rebound and the next clean look settle the game.
George can find Markkanen, Jackson and Bailey after the first drive, and Utah took twenty offensive rebounds against the Lakers. Memphis has Jerome creating the first advantage, then Spencer, Wells and Coward cutting or shooting from his passes. Edey missed Memphis's last game, when Stewart and Post covered center, Coward returned for major minutes and Jerome supplied the late response against Sacramento. Nurkic has already been absent from Utah's recent rotation.
Utah has turned it over at least seventeen times in each of its first three games, giving Memphis's guard and wing group a repeatable way into extra possessions. Jerome's scoring and the available second outlets can carry that into a close finish without needing a repeat of the earlier Utah game's margin. That's why I'm siding with Memphis to take this match.
