Memphis Grizzlies vs Utah Jazz prediction: Jackson Jr. returns in a Jazz shirt

Eight months ago Memphis did something nobody saw coming. Jaren Jackson Jr., the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year who'd just signed a max extension, was shipped to Utah in an eight-player deal right before the February deadline, with three first-round picks heading back to Memphis. Now the schedule-makers have done the obvious thing: the new season opens with him walking back into FedExForum in Utah colours, at 11am AEDT on Thursday for us.

The story around both clubs is a rebuild. Utah finished 22-60 last season and Memphis 25-57, so this is two of the bottom sides in the West meeting with fresh rookies on show. On recent form the Jazz have the better of it: they won 119-116 in Phoenix and beat San Antonio 119-109. Memphis won their last two as well, 116-98 against Charlotte and 104-100 in Chicago, so neither side is coming in cold.

The price on that story is close to a coin flip. The median has Memphis at 1.86 and Utah at 1.96, and the best Utah price is 2.00. Being honest, the market has leaned the other way in the last day: the top Memphis price has come in from 2.03 to 1.91, so the money so far is on the home side.

Verdict: I'll take the second favourite, Utah at 2.00, on the night their new big man returns to the building he left.