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Charlie Grant
Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Game 1 Prediction, NBA Playoff Odds
Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder are trying to win their first playoff series since Kevin Durant left them two years ago but they find themselves facing the best team since the All-Star break.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Jazz began their season trying to figure out how they were going to score buckets without Gordon Hayward leading the offense. Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell showed promise in his first few months but the club lost more games than it won without injured center Rudy Gobert in the lineup.
Gobert returned and suddenly it all made sense again. Utah closed the season by winning 29 of its last 35 games and outscored opponents by a league-best 10.8 points per 100 possessions after the All-Star break.
The Jazz finished 48-34 straight up and 43-39 against the spread on the season with a 39-42-1 over/under record.
There were many ups and downs to the Thunder’s season. They finished one-win better than a season ago despite adding Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to the mix. OKC was the worst bet in the Western Conference thanks to its ugly 34-47-1 ATS mark.
Sports Interaction lists the fourth-seeded Thunder as the series favourites at -159 with the Jazz paying out at +115 should they pull off the upset.
Utah Jazz
Any other season and Mitchell would be a lock for taking the Rookie of the Year honours but Ben Simmons’ season in Philadelphia shouldn’t diminish what Mitchell accomplished in his first year in the pros. The former Louisville guard averaged 20.5 points per game and chipped in 3.7 assists a night.
His backcourt mate Ricky Rubio is making his playoff debut in his seventh NBA season. The point guard’s shooting stroke always held him back in years past but he enters the playoffs shooting 40.9 from 3-point land in his last 23 games.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Westbrook capped another historic statistical season by becoming the first player in NBA history with more than one season averaging a triple-double. The reigning MVP likes to attack the rim early and often but that won’t be easy going against Gobert. The Jazz pivot is one of the best interior defenders and is expected to win Defensive Player of the Year.
Paul George needs to snap out of his shooting funk for the Thunder to advance past the Jazz. He shot just 38.5 percent from the field after the midseason break.
