The Utah Jazz (42-23) play the Oklahoma City Thunder (40-24) Saturday in the Orlando bubble at 3:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Jazz-Thunder NBA betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Jazz vs. Thunder: Key Injuries
Jazz
- SF Bojan Bogdanovic (wrist) out
Thunder
- SG Terrance Ferguson (leg) questionable
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Jazz vs. Thunder: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 12:25 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Thunder 107, Jazz 101
Moneyline (ML)
The Jazz beat the New Orleans Pelicans outright as 2.5-point dogs, 106-104, on the opening night of the NBA’s restart. Utah was slept on heading into their game against New Orleans mostly because of the hype around Pelicans SF Zion Williamson and alleged team turmoil relating to Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell‘s previous bouts with COVID-19. Utah pulled out a tough win and Jazz bettors took advantage of a bad line.
Again we have a situation where the market has steamed up the Jazz’s opponents. The Thunder (-125) opened a slight dog but Oklahoma City backers pushed them to a favorite. That market movement makes a lot more sense. Oklahoma City has beaten the Jazz (+105) in two of their three previous meetings this season (covering all three) and has won five out of six games against Utah.
An edge I’d really like to see the Thunder exploit is getting to the free-throw line. There have been eight games played so far in the NBA’s restart and in seven of those games there was a free throw attempt differential. The team that attempted more free throws won six of those seven games.
Oklahoma City ranks first in free-throw attempts per field goals attempted and second in opponent free-throw attempts per field goals attempted. The Thunder shot more free throws than the Jazz in each of their three games this season.
TAKE THE THUNDER (-125) on the moneyline.
Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
Let’s just stick with the moneyline wager. Utah played in a single-possession game Thursday against the Pelicans and this game, with two evenly matched teams, should go down to the wire, too.
Though it’s not a huge risk, I’d rather lay the extra juice on the ML than take the Thunder (-1.5, -110). PASS.
Over/Under (O/U)
Because both teams play a more methodical style of basketball (each team ranks bottom-10 in pace in the NBA) and are above-average defensively, this game probably goes Under 215.5 (-110). Also, the Under is 20-8 in the last 28 head-to-head meetings.
I lean Under in Jazz-Thunder but I’m PASSING on the total because of the offensive eruption we saw in Friday’s NBA restart games. All six of the Friday games went Over the total.
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