Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been on a tear as they’ve won 20 of their last 23 games overall, and they will be aiming for a third-straight win after blowing past the Suns in a 125-112 road win on Wednesday. Jalen Williams led the team with 33 points, seven rebounds, and five assists; Chet Holmgren added 22 points with 10 rebounds and four assists, while Alex Caruso chipped in with 19 points, five rebounds, and five steals. As a team, the Thunder shot 52 percent from the field and 12 of 30 from the 3-point line as they got off to a sloppy start and leaked 39 points in the first quarter to trail by 15 points early. But they made up for it in the third quarter, where they outscored the Suns by 43-26 to set up the comfortable road win in the end.
Utah Jazz Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz have been ice-cold lately, as they’ve lost 19 of their last 21 games overall. But they will be feeling so much better after putting an end to a nine-game losing streak with a 133-126 overtime win over the Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Kyle Filipowski led the team with 30 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists, Brice Sensabaugh added 22 points, while Keyonte George chipped in with 18 points, six rebounds, and six assists. As a team, the Jazz shot 51 percent from the field and 15 of 36 from the 3-point line as they closed the final 4:01 on a 12-6 run in the fourth quarter to force overtime, where they closed the final 2:09 on a 14-4 run to earn the gritty win at home.
Why the Utah Jazz will win
- The home team has won each of the Jazz’s last six games.
- The Thunder have lost eight of their last 12 games as road favorites against Northwest Division opponents following a win.
- The Jazz have covered the spread in eight of their last nine games after winning as underdogs.
- The Thunder have failed to cover the spread in 13 of their last 15 games as road favorites against Northwest Division opponents following a win.
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder will win
- The Thunder have won each of their last 25 games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Jazz have lost each of their last 11 home games following a win.
- The Thunder have covered the spread in each of their last eight games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Jazz have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight home games against Northwest Division opponents that held a winning record.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Jazz rank 30th in the league for opponent points per game this season (121.0).
- The Jazz rank 30th in the league for opponent assists per game this season (29.6).
- The Thunder rank 1st in the league for point differential per game this season (+12.6).
- The Thunder rank 1st in the league for steals per game this season (10.3).
Jazz vs Thunder Prediction
The Thunder have again ruled out Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso, Shai Gilgoeus-Alexander, and Chet Holmgren, while the Jazz are still missing Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and John Collins. This is certainly one of those games where you should check the lineups before tipoff, given the injury cloud hanging over both teams. The Thunder have decided to rest all their key players in this one, which opens the door for the Jazz, who are coming into this one fresh off an overtime win over the Trail Blazers. The Thunder are still heavy road favorites despite resting everyone, but I think the Jazz can make pests of themselves and hang around to keep this one close at the end.