Thunder vs. Jazz Prediction
Russell Westbrook and Paul George combined for 79 points in Game 5 as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from 25 points down to avoid elimination at home versus the Utah Jazz. Is Oklahoma City going to ride that wave of momentum into Salt Lake City and record another win?
Game Snapshot
515 Oklahoma City Thunder at 516 Utah Jazz
Friday, April 27, 2018
Vivint Smart Home Arena at 10:30PM ET
TV: 10:30PM ET
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, the Jazz are listed as a 6-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 206 points. As of Friday morning, 51 percent of public bets are being placed on host Utah. Check out our NBA Public Betting Page for the latest info.
Westbrook, George dominate in win
Westbrook shrugged off three underwhelming performances in a row to turn in a masterpiece in Game 5, pouring in 45 points on 17-of-39 shooting in the 107-99 win. Oklahoma City trailed 71-46 with 8:34 left in the third quarter and its season appeared all but over. But through the lead of Westbrook, plus a 34-point outing from George, the Thunder forced a Game 6 in Utah. Westbrook added 15 rebounds and seven assists over 44 minutes, while George added eight rebounds plus two assists and two steals. The going will be tougher for the duo tonight in Utah, but perhaps they have cracked the Utah defensive code.
Crowder turns in gem in reserve role
Since being traded to the Jazz at the deadline, small forward Jae Crowder has proven to be a better fit with his new team than he was in half a season with Cleveland. Crowder poured in 27 points in Game 5 as he played 37 minutes off the bench, shooting 9-of-19 from the floor including 6-of-14 from 3-point range. He also contributed eight rebounds, three assists and a steal. After averaging 8.6 points per game in 25.4 minutes per for the Cavs, he put in 11.8 points per game in 27.6 minutes for Utah. He has also added toughness, strong defense and a good rebounder. His scoring average is down to 10.2 during the postseason, but his Game 5 performance was a statement that he is back on track.
NBA Betting Trends
Oklahoma City
The Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following an ATS win. The under is 4-1 in the last five Oklahoma City games following an ATS win.
Utah
The Jazz are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games. The over is 7-1 in the last eight Utah games following an ATS loss.
Prediction:
Utah went on cruise control far too early in Game 5 and paid the cost. Don’t expect the same outcome here. The Jazz have been great at home all season as they are 30-13 straight up. Oklahoma City, particularly Westbrook, can get reckless when it falls behind and that would be costly in a hostile environment like this. I think Utah wins this game handily.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: UTAH JAZZ -6