Getty Russell Westbrook and Donovan Mitchell
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Russell Westbrook open their homestretch of the regular season on Friday with a matchup against the Utah Jazz. Donovan Mitchell and company are 32-25 this season and are jockeying for position in a crowded Western Conference, currently sitting as the No. 6 seed. As for the Thunder, they’re holding firm in the No. 3 spot with a 37-20 record and ground to make up on the top-two seeds.
The Thunder entered the NBA All-Star break by winning eight of 10 games and boast a 20-7 home record this season, setting them up well for Friday’s game. The Jazz are 14-15 in road games but will look to pull off a road upset to start their push for playoff position.
We’re going to take a look at the betting line, projected total and offer a prediction and pick on the nationally-televised matchup between these two teams. Let’s start off with the betting line, which has shifted a bit since opening.
Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Line, Over/Under
*Note: All lines and odds from Bovada and provided by Odds Shark.
- Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder (-5 at -105)
- Over/Under: 226 (-115)
While the over/under moved to 227 briefly, it’s hung around the 226 number for the bulk of the day. The line was at -3.5 in favor of the Thunder during the day on Thursday, but since Friday morning has moved to -5 and the consensus pick seems to be on Westbrook and company to cover.
As Odds Shark shows, 69 percent of the picks have come in on the Thunder (although it was with a line of -4.5). It’s not all that surprising considering the Thunder are 33-24 against the spread this season and 16-11 ATS on their home floor. On the opposite side, the Jazz have gone just 14-14-1 ATS in road games while also losing each of the two meetings against Oklahoma City this season.
Jazz vs. Thunder Prediction
Both meetings between the Jazz and Thunder came in December, with Oklahoma City winning by nine at home and just one on the road. While the two teams have played close games consistently, with the Thunder holding a narrow 6-4 edge in record over the past 10 games, OKC has an edge when it comes to covering the spread, doing so seven times.
Prior to a surprising loss to the New Orleans Pelicans just before the break, Oklahoma City had won 11 of 12 games. Over that span, they won by more five or more points on 10 occasions. At the level Westbrook and Paul George are currently playing at, betting against them is a fairly bold move. The Thunder also recently added Markieff Morris as a free agent, but it’s unknown if he’ll debut on Friday.
While I’m taking the Thunder to get the win against the Jazz, an interesting stat from Odds Shark shows that the over has been hit at a decent rate for both teams recently. The projected total has gone over in five of Utah’s last seven games while it’s hit in 13 of Oklahoma City’s previous 18.
Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder 124, Utah Jazz 110
Pick: Thunder -5 and Over 226
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