The 2021 NBA season is finally here. After a great first night of basketball, most of the rest of the teams are ready to get going and begin the regular season. To kick things off, the Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to take on the Utah Jazz. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Thunder-Jazz prediction and pick.
This is a tale of two completely different teams. The Thunder are a young team looking to develop into eventual playoff contenders. Only notching 22 wins last season and finishing 14th in the Western Conference, Oklahoma City is still in rebuilding mode.
The Jazz, on the other hand, are looking to repeat last season's success and then take another step in the playoffs. While they weren't able to win a championship, Utah notched 52 wins and first place in the Western Conference. The Jazz will be looking to take care of business as a huge favorite, while the Thunder will be looking to play spoiler and get a huge upset.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the line for Wednesday night's matchup.
NBA Odds: Thunder-Jazz Odds
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Oklahoma City Thunder: +12.5 (-110)
Utah Jazz: -12.5 (-110)
Over: 221.5 (-110)
Under: 221.5 (-110)
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
The Thunder did not have a great 2020-21 season. Injuries and a shortened season are not ideal for a young roster, and it showed. But after a full offseason and a year of playing together, this Oklahoma City team might just be able to take a big step in the right direction. One of the biggest storylines for this young roster was an injury to their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA suffered a significant tear in his plantar fascia last season, which led to the team committing to tanking last season. Prior to his injury, this Thunder team was competitive.
Through the first 43 games of last season, Oklahoma City had a record of 19-24. They were fighting for a playoff spot and were competing against the best in the league. They had wins against both the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks, the two teams that eventually would play for an NBA title. This is right before SGA suffered a season-ending injury that would cause him to miss the last 29 games of the regular season. Of those 29 games, the Thunder lost 26 of them. Now that SGA is back and the Thunder have two top-20 draft picks, they are ready for a bounce-back 2021.
When SGA played last year he impacted games in a big way. Last season, SGA averaged career highs across the board. He was scoring over 23 points per game on nearly 51% shooting. Add to that 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds a game, and SGA was making a case for Most Improved Player. While he was only able to play 35 games last season, Thunder fans should hold out hope and be very optimistic of what SGA will be able to do in his fourth season. This young Thunder team will be exciting to watch and should be able to give the Jazz a run for their money.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
The Jazz are a great team. They have every piece in place to make a deep playoff run and will be looking to do so starting from this season-opening game. As they host the Thunder, Utah will look to make a statement that it is the best in the West. The Jazz earned first place in the Western Conference for a reason and will look to continue last year's regular-season success on Wednesday night.
Last season, Utah ranked in the top five in both points scored and opposing points allowed. The Jazz averaged 116.4 points per game while only allowing 107.2 points from opponents. This combination of explosive offense and lockdown defense makes them one of the toughest teams in the league to face. They are both balanced and deep. The Jazz are built for an 82-game season and can handle adversity.
Leading the charge for the Utah Jazz is Donovan Mitchell. Spida Mitchell is one of the best talents in the NBA. Entering his fifth season, Mitchell has only gotten better. He has improved in points, assists, and rebounds every season he has been in the league. He was limited by injury to only 53 games last season and was playing though pain for many of those games he did play. This year, he is healthy and ready to dominate. Get ready for Spida to be on full display.
Final Thunder-Jazz Prediction & Pick
This is a tough game to bet on because of the wide margin of the line. The Jazz are definitely the better team, but winning by 12 or more is tough, especially with a healthy SGA and young Thunder roster that is itching for a win after last season's tank. Pick the Thunder to cover this spread, or pick the over. Both are solid options. The Thunder are going to surprise a lot of fans this season if they stay healthy.
FINAL PICK: Oklahoma City Thunder +12.5 (-110)
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Jazz 118 – Thunder 110
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