The Utah Jazz (12-23) and Oklahoma City Thunder (30-7) will face off in the NBA on Wednesday night. Tipoff from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City is set for 8:00 p.m. ET. The game will broadcast live on KJZZ.
The Thunder are 18.5-point favorites over the Jazz on the spread (Thunder -18.5), with the over/under set at 240 total points. Oklahoma City is a -1100 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Utah is +650 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Jazz vs. Thunder predictions and NBA picks for Wednesday, January 7.
Jazz vs Thunder Prediction, Picks
- Jazz vs Thunder pick: Keyonte George Under 32.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-110)
My Thunder vs Jazz best bet is on Keyonte George under 32.5 points, rebounds and assists, with the best price currently available at bet365. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Jazz vs Thunder Odds for Wednesday, Jan. 7
| Jazz Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+18.5 -110 | 240 -110o / -110u | +650 |
| Thunder Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-18.5 -110 | 240 -110o / -110u | -1100 |
Utah Jazz vs Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Preview
Keyonte George has obviously had a breakout season, putting himself into one of the more distinguished categories of elite guards, or at least really, really solid guards.
However, I'm taking the under on his 32.5 points, rebounds, and assists line for tonight, and it's not necessarily about his play so much as the game environment and the matchup. It has to do with what I'm projecting from a minute's perspective for the Jazz guard.
We've talked about the OKC struggles and what they've done on the floor over the last couple of weeks, but if the Thunder turns this game into a blowout, it could take minutes off George.
The spread is at 19.5, and I know the noise and the narrative around this OKC team sputtering is very real, but Vegas is still giving them all the respect in the world.
Their spread has actually grown. The Thunder were 15.5-point favorites against Charlotte, and their line now is 19.5 in this game. They're at home. Obviously, we know that's a difficult place to play.
I do think it's worth noting that opponents are more confident coming into these games, believing they can even go to Oklahoma City and beat the Thunder. So they're taking the games more seriously.
I think that is a valid narrative there, but it's still a very difficult matchup, right? This is still the best defense in basketball when you're looking at defensive efficiency numbers across the board and net ratings.
So it's a really tough matchup for Keyonte George and the Jazz. And again, I do think that the blowout narrative is very real.
Jazz vs Thunder Betting Predictions, Analysis
So when projecting for 32.5 PRA and 33 minutes, accounting for him missing a minute and a half or two to blow out, my model likes the under on this 32.5 number.
For what it's worth, the market is also kind of factoring this in. Keyonte George was the guy who was getting 34.5 and 35.5 PRA numbers over the last week. So the market is also feeling this way, and it's baked in.
However, I still like the under in this spot here. It is a difficult matchup from a scoring perspective, so points and assists could be impacted.
If he also misses out on a few extra minutes due to a potential game script stuff, as discussed, I think there's a real chance to have a clear path for an under here for the Utah guard.
Jazz vs Thunder Best Bet
- Keyonte George Under 32.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-110)
Thunder vs Jazz Betting Trends
For the latest on NBA injuries, be sure to check out our NBA Injury Report page.
