The Oklahoma City Thunder has designs of positioning itself as the chief contender to the Golden State Warriors heading into the postseason. The Thunder entered the All-Star Break playing good ball and will look to continue that as the second half begins this week against the Utah Jazz.
Utah is a solid team as well but will be on the road for this one and will be the underdog. There is a lot of parity outside of Golden State in the West and an upset win by the Jazz would make things more muddled as the stretch run beckons.
Both teams have a lot to gain by capturing this win and the talent level is close enough that it could be a competitive matchup in NBA betting lines.
This NBA basketball game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder will be held at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday, February 22nd, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA season.
Odds Analysis
The Jazz has a record of 32-25 on the season, currently sitting as the No. 6 seed in the West. Utah started the season slowly but has picked it up of late and is certainly capable of making a postseason run. The Jazz is 14-15 on the road this season and will need an efficient effort to knock off the Thunder.
Oklahoma City has a record of 37-20 on the year. The Thunder has won seven of its past 10 games to climb within two games of the Nuggets for the No. 2 seed in the West, and getting there should be the goal down the stretch. Oklahoma City is 20-7 at home on the season.
Player To Watch
Donovan Mitchell - Utah sometimes has a tough time keeping up with elite teams because it doesn’t score as well as those foes. Mitchell is the main player on offense and he needs to have a good game against Oklahoma City. The second-year shooting guard is averaging 22.4 points and 4.0 assists per game on the year.
Mitchell is shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from three-point range on the season, numbers he would like to improve on the the rest of the way. Mitchell had 25 points in the team’s 115-108 loss to the Warriors in the last game before the All-Star Break but hit only 10-of-29 shots from the floor.
Injury Report
Thunder point guard Dennis Schroder missed the final two games before the All-Star Break for the birth of his child. He seems likely to return for this matchup, but check on his availability to make sure that is in fact the case.
Schroder is averaging 15.7 points, 4.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game so he is a big piece of the puzzle, adding a complement to the star duo of Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Schroder had 17 points in a big win over the Rockets in the game before his absence began.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Oklahoma City is going to be the favorite in this one, but don’t be surprised if the Jazz either stay close or even pull off the upset. Utah has the type of team game and defensive ability which could make life tough on the Thunder.
George has been unbelievable of late, but if he and Westbrook have a small hangover from All-Star Weekend, that could allow Utah to take advantage. The odds seem likely to be right to choose the Jazz on the moneyline in this one in NBA gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Utah Jazz 111, Oklahoma City Thunder 108
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
