By: Ryan Stein

Betting on the 8 seed in the NBA playoffs is typically a fool's gambit. Teams with the playoff's lowest seed are, in the overwhelming majority of situations, at a serious talent disadvantage in relation to their first-round matchup. They also have to deal with not having home court advantage in their playoff series, and potentially playing four games in the top seeded team's home arena is a daunting task. However, I believe the Memphis Grizzlies, this season's Western Conference eight seed, will manage to push the top seeded Utah Jazz to the brink, forcing their first-round matchup to seven games.

Welcome back to Far-Fetched Friday, where every Friday we give you a bold prediction that we believe will come to fruition. This Friday, we look at the NBA Playoffs.

Ja Morant, the Grizzlies' 21-year-old star point guard, has already shown he's ready for the bright lights of the playoffs, having a huge game to hold off Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the final play-in game. While Memphis doesn't have a ton of players with extensive postseason experience, they have plenty of youthful exuberance that is chomping at the bit to prove themselves to the world. 

Furthermore, the Jazz, while a talented team, has had an uneven playoff experience the past four seasons. After making the second round in Donovan Mitchell's first two seasons in the league, they've been bounced in the first round the following two years. This indicates a lack of growth from the roster, and while the team has ascended to reach the top seed in the Western Conference for the regular season, it still remains to be seen whether or not they have the chops to be a legitimate contender. 

Overall, the low-pressure situation the Grizzlies find themselves in, coupled with the iffy playoff resume of the Jazz will lead to an epic seven game series that not many people will be expecting.