Utah at Oklahoma City NBA Lines, Betting Pick & TV Info

It’s not impossible that the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder face off in the NBA playoffs, but most likely Saturday afternoon is the final meeting between the Northwest Division rivals. The Jazz are looking to end a long losing streak in OKC but likely will be slight underdogs on NBA lines.

Utah at Oklahoma City NBA Lines, Betting Pick & TV Info

When: Saturday, March 11, 3 PM ET Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, OKC TV: NBA League Pass Stream: NBA.tv Radio: Utah / Oklahoma City NBA Odds: Thunder favored by TBA

Why Bet on Utah?

The Jazz are rolling right now on a four-game winning streak, although three of those wins – Brooklyn, Sacramento and New Orleans – were against teams with losing records. But Wednesday’s 115-108 victory at Houston was very impressive. The Rockets trailed by double digits for much of the game as they struggled from 3-point range. Houston was just 8 of 32 to end a streak of 18 straight games with at least 10 3-pointers. Rudy Gobert and Gordon Hayward each scored 23 points for Utah. Gobert had one block to give him at least one in 34 straight games. Rodney Hood was back in the starting lineup on Wednesday, scoring 19 points on 8-of- 14 shooting with six boards, three assists, one steal and two 3-pointers. The Jazz started Hood alongside Dante Exum, Hayward, Joe Johnson and Gobert, a five-man unit that had played 32 minutes together all season prior to that game. It was borne of desperation with George Hill (toe) and Derrick Favors (knee) both sidelined. Hill’s toe cost him an extended stretch earlier this season and Utah needs him fully healthy for the postseason, so this might not be his last DNP. The Jazz won two of the three meetings vs. Houston, the first time since the 2011-12 season that they’ve won a season series over the Rockets. Utah is in fourth place in the Western Conference, three games behind third-place Houston. Utah trails OKC 2-1 in the season series. The one Jazz win was Dec. 14 at home, 109-89. Hood led Utah with 25 points. Hayward contributed 17 points and Gobert had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Off the bench, Joe Ingles and Shelvin Mack added 11 points and 15 points, respectively. This season against OKC, Hayward is averaging 17.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Gobert has posted 12.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game.

Why Bet on Oklahoma City?

You always want to tune into a Thunder game if possible just to see what Russell Westbrook might do. His team lost a fourth straight game on Tuesday against Portland but Westbrook had a career-high 58 points. Westbrook shot 21 of 39, but just 6 of 15 in the fourth quarter. He entered the game as the league leader in points and plus/minus score in the last five minutes of regulation and overtime. He missed four shots in the final 83 seconds that could have tied the game or given the Thunder the lead. Oklahoma City lost despite shooting 52 percent. Westbrook scored 28 points in the first half to give the Thunder a 67-61 lead. The Thunder shot 68 percent before the break. Victor Oladipo (back) returned from a six-game absence in style, scoring 16 points on 5-of- 9 shooting. He didn’t have any official minute restrictions, but the Thunder were keeping an eye on him and he finished with 26 minutes. Thunder center Steven Adams admits he has “definitely” struggled on the defensive end. The Thunder are 16-2 this season when Adams posts a defensive rating of 100 or lower, but his defensive rating during the Thunder’s past five games is 118.5. “It’s just a communication thing, a timing thing,” Adams said. “Obviously, I’m going to say I’m playing bad if anything goes wrong, if any mistake happens.” With the Thunder currently leading the season series, the Jazz will look to snap an 11-game road losing streak in Oklahoma City, as the last Jazz win was on 10/31/10 (120-99). In the lone meeting there this season on Feb. 28, OKC won 109-108. Westbrook led the Thunder with 43 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He had 12 of his 43 points in the final 2:05. Westbrook made a 3-pointer with 38.1 seconds remaining, then scored and was fouled on a transition layup with 15.5 seconds to play. He completed the three-point play to give the Thunder a 108-106 lead. Oklahoma City, which entered the night last in the NBA in 3-point percentage, made 15 of 22 threes.

Utah at Oklahoma City Betting Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder

That unusual early start time benefits the home side. Plus Utah may be without Hill again.