Russell Westbrook (27.3 PPG), the league’s top scorer, and the Oklahoma City Thunder (41-31) will be on the road at EnergySolutions Arena to take on the Utah Jazz (31-40). Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 28 and can be seen on FSN-OK and ROOT-NW.
The Jazz are are expecting a better outcome after their 92-89 loss to the Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Despite the loss, Derrick Favors earned his 22nd double-double this season with 26 points and 13 rebounds. The Thunder, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the deflating 130-91 loss against the Spurs on Wednesday. Dion Waiters played well for Oklahoma City, recording 14 points, two rebounds, and one steal
Enes Kanter has been hot over the last five games for the Thunder, averaging 18.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
The Thunder lead the season series against the Jazz two games to one, including a 99-94 win the last time these two teams met. Kevin Durant was the game’s top overall scorer with 32 points.
The odds for Utah and Oklahoma City are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Jazz come into this game 31-40 Straight Up (SU) and 38-32-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 5-6 SU and 7-4 ATS against divisional opponents. Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for Utah in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the league with an average of 11.9 offensive boards per game. Utah’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 87.7 during that span, compared to its 95.0 season average. Utah will look to take advantage of the Thunder and their propensity to foul. Oklahoma City ranks 28th in the league in fouls, averaging 22.2 per game.
As for their opponent, the Thunder have 41-31 SU and 36-34-2 ATS records. Against fellow division members, Oklahoma City has an 8-5 SU and a 7-5-1 ATS record. Offensively, the Thunder have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 103.4 points per game by averaging 110.9 during that stretch. The Thunder have controlled the glass with an NBA-best 47.5 rebounds per game. The Thunder average 101.0 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 109.7 points per game during that span. The Thunder are a problem for teams on the defensive side, allowing only .434 shooting from the field to their opponents.
The Thunder’s win over Utah in their last clash bumped their SU record over the last 10 meetings to 7-3. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. In these last 10 matchups, Oklahoma City held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers five times, with Utah controlling all three of these areas two times.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC, ATS Winner – OKC
Notes
Utah scores an average of 94.7 points per game (ranked 26th), while Oklahoma City allows 101.0 points per game (ranked 20th).
Utah ranks 27th in points per home game with 96.0 points, while Oklahoma City ranks 24th in points allowed on the road with 103.6.
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost their last game by 39 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the Utah Jazz are 7-6. Oklahoma City is 8-4 in blowouts this season.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a winning 24-9. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Utah Jazz have a poor record of 16-31.
When the Oklahoma City Thunder allow at least 100 points they are 17-22, while the Utah Jazz are 15-9 when they reach the century mark.
The Jazz have a defensive rating of 102.7 (ranked 15th), while the Thunder rank 11th for their offensive rating of 104.4.
Oklahoma City has an average field goal percentage of 44.7%. Utah is an abysmal 6-33 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
Utah attempts an average of 21.1 three pointers per game, and Oklahoma City attempts 22.5 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Jazz have a 10-9 record while the Thunder have a 9-10 record.
The Utah Jazz rank 26th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.41. The Oklahoma City Thunder have a higher A/TO (1.47), ranking 22nd.
Oklahoma City is the best rebounding team in the NBA this season with 47.5 per game. On the other side, Utah is in the top half of the league, ranking 13th with 43.7 per game.
Utah is ranked 19th in defensive rebounds, while Oklahoma City ranks second in offensive rebounds.
Utah averages a forced turnover rate of 13.3% this season. Oklahoma City has a 24-19 record when they suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
