Utah Jazz vs Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Pick & Prediction 12/3/24

At 8:00 ET, the Oklahoma City Thunder (-1118) will host the Utah Jazz (+704) in a Western Northwest Division matchup. The Thunder are favored by 14.5 points and have a record of 15-5, which is good for first in the Western Conference. The Jazz are 14th in the West with a record of 4-16 and have lost four straight.

This game will be played at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City and can be seen on KJZZ.

UTAH JAZZ VS OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER BETTING PICK

The Pick: Utah Jazz +14.5

This game will be played at Paycom Center at 8:00 ET on Tuesday, December 3rd.

WHY BET THE UTAH JAZZ:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 115-107 in favor of the Jazz.
• Our projections have Lauri Markkanen finishing with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists.
• From the field, we have the Jazz finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.1% and knocking down 13 threes.

Can Utah Stun the Crowd at Paycom Center?

The Jazz dropped to 4-16 on the season after a narrow 105-104 loss to the Lakers on Sunday. Despite being +5 point underdogs, Utah kept it close at home. The game’s total of 209 points fell well short of the 225.5 O/U line.

Utah led 27-26 after the 1st quarter, but the Lakers edged ahead by winning the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The Jazz entered the 4th down 86-81 but held the Lakers to 19 points in the final frame while scoring 23 of their own, nearly completing the comeback.

The Jazz shot 50.6% from the field and connected on 14 threes at a 35% clip in their 105-104 loss to the Lakers on Sunday. Lauri Markkanen led the way with 22 points, hitting 5 threes at 45.5%, while John Collins added 21 points and 9 rebounds, making 3 threes at 60% efficiency.

Collin Sexton contributed 15 points, with 8 coming in the 4th quarter. Keyonte George added 14 points, scoring 5 in the final period, and Walker Kessler chipped in 13 points, including 4 in the 3rd quarter.

Even with a strong defensive effort in the 4th quarter, where they allowed just 19 points, the Jazz couldn’t hold off the Lakers, giving up 105 points in the loss. Utah’s defense struggled in the 2nd quarter, allowing 32 points, but they still managed to keep the Lakers to 44% shooting overall.

The Jazz did an excellent job defending the three-point line, holding the Lakers to just 7 made threes on 21% shooting. Utah also recorded 36 defensive rebounds, while allowing 10 offensive boards. They finished with 4 steals and 4 blocks.

Pressure Builds for Oklahoma City as Home Favorites

Oklahoma City’s record fell to 15-5 after a 119-116 road loss to the Rockets on Sunday. The Thunder, who were -1.5 point favorites, not only lost the game but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 235, surpassing the pre-game O/U line of 219 by 16 points.

After trailing 33-28 after the 1st quarter, the Thunder took control by winning the next two quarters, including a 36-29 edge in the 3rd. However, they couldn’t hold onto their 96-91 lead heading into the 4th, as they were outscored 28-20 in the final period.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 32 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 52.6% from the field and hitting 3 threes at 42.9% in their 119-116 loss to the Rockets. Jalen Williams added 22 points, though he shot just 33.3% from the field and 28.6% from deep, while Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 19 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 75% from the floor.

As a team, the Thunder made 13 threes, shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc and 44.7% overall. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the 3rd quarter, while Williams added 10 in the 4th. Cason Wallace also chipped in 6 points in both the 1st and 4th quarters.

Despite a strong defensive effort, the Thunder couldn’t hold off the Rockets, allowing 119 points in a close loss. Oklahoma City gave up 33 points in the 1st quarter but tightened up in the 4th, allowing just 28 points.

The Thunder held the Rockets to 41% shooting, including 35% from three, where Houston hit 13 threes. Oklahoma City sent the Rockets to the line 39 times, where they made 30 free throws. The Thunder also gave up 15 offensive rebounds.