In the heart of Salt Lake City, a pivotal matchup just a handful before the NBA All-Star Break will take place as the Oklahoma City Thunder clash with the Utah Jazz. Join us for our NBA odds series where our Thunder-Jazz prediction and pick will be revealed.

Heading into play tied for first atop the Western Conference with a 35-15 record, Oklahoma City is coming off a thrilling double-overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors by a score of 135-127. In the midst of a three-game winning streak, the Thunder are certainly trending positively as the All-Star Break draws near.

On the other side of things, the Jazz are playing for their postseason lives. Luckily, Utah was able to snap a three-game skid with a much-needed come-from-behind victory over one of the east's best in the Milwaukee Bucks. Overall, Utah is 25-26 and are currently sitting in the tenth and final playoff spot in the west. Can Utah earn another big-time victory in front of their home fans?

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Thunder-Jazz Odds

Oklahoma City Thunder: -3 (-108)

Moneyline: -148

Utah Jazz: +3 (-112)

Moneyline: +126

Over: 240.5 (-110)

Under: 240.5 (-110)

How to Watch Thunder vs. Jazz

Time: 9:10 ET/6:10 PT

TV: Bally Sports Southwest

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread/Win

Traveling to the Rocky Mountains of Utah, the Thunder have already been victorious twice over the Jazz this season and will be seeking a third win over their Northwest division rivals.

If there's one facet of the game that the Thunder thrive in, look no further than their ability to score points at a hectic pace. In fact, OKC ranks fourth in points scored per game at 120.8. Hand in hand, the Thunder are also some of the deadliest snipers from beyond the arc that the league has to offer. Overall, Oklahoma City is connecting on a lethal 39% from three-point range and often overwhelm their opponents with how many trey's they can sink in such a short amount of time.

While the offense will need to flex its muscles in a big way, don't be overly surprised if the Thunder make it a priority to keep the turnovers to a minimum. Although this is a big focus for a majority of NBA teams each given night, OKC often makes it a point each game out on the hardwood to not shoot themselves in the foot. Simply put, this is a squad of young and dynamic playmakers that force opponents to play the perfect game to beat them. As a whole, the Thunder only commit 11.7 giveaways per contest which is the third-fewest in all of the Association.

Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread/Win

For starters, corralling as many rebounds as possible over the span of many possessions will be critical en route to enduring success against one of the West's best. The good news is that one of the main weaknesses inside the OKC locker room is winning the rebounding battle. Since Utah is the second-best rebounding team in the league compared to Oklahoma City who is only the 25th-best squad in that department. At the end of the day, eliminating the Thunder's second-chance opportunities and instead getting their own looks on the offensive end of things after missed shots could be just what the doctor ordered.

Unlike OKC, Utah's main Achilles' Heel has been being far too careless whenever the basketball is in their possession. Indeed, Utah turns the ball over at a mind-blowing rate. More specifically, Utah gives the rock away 15.1 times per game which is the most in the NBA. Without a doubt, not being able to maximize their offensive opportunities could serve to be the nail in the coffin. All together, making the right passes to set up high-percentage looks needs to be the name of the game.

Last and certainly not least, the star power of the Jazz will have to be at an all-time high. Of course, guys like Lauri Markkanen are going to have to remind those how special he can be with the basketball in his hands. At the moment, Markkanan is averaging a team-leading 23.5 points per game but has only shot at least 50% from the floor twice in the last four games combined.

Final Thunder-Jazz Prediction & Pick

All in all, the Jazz have been impressive at home this season with a 16-7 mark and are free of the injury bug ahead of this matchup, but the Thunder seem to be on a whole other level off competition at the moment. Spend no time questioning taking OKC in this one.

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Final Thunder-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Thunder -3 (-108)