The Oklahoma City Thunder (38-42) are 10th in the Western Conference, ready to take on the Utah Jazz (36-43) at the Vivint Smart Home Arena on Thursday (April 6).
The Thunder are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them to 10th in the West and has placed them out of the playoff race. The Golden State Warriors defeated them 136-125 in their previous outing despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 32 points. Except Jaylin Williams, each player in the starting lineup scored in double digits for the Thunder but it wasn’t enough. 34 points from Stephen Curry and 30 points from Jordan Poole sent the Warriors with a win. The Thunder will now face the Jazz, who are 12th in the West, and already out of the playoff spot.
They are just 3-7 in their last 10 games and are on a three-game losing streak. Their latest loss was against the Los Angeles Lakers (135-133) in overtime. They had three players in the lineup who scored 20+ points but still fell to the Lakers. 37 points from LeBron James and 28 points from Austin Reaves proved to be too much for the Jazz to handle.
Oklahoma City Thunde vs Utah Jazz: Match Details
Fixture: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Utah Jazz
Date & Time: Thursday, April 6, 09:00 p.m ET
Venue: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Utah Jazz: Injury Report
The two teams are suffering with a number of injuries at present. Rudy Gay is out for the Jazz due to a back injury and Jordan Clarkson is unavailable because of a finger injury. Lauri Markkenen has been ruled out due to a hand injury and Collin Sexton is out with a hamstring injury. Walker Kessler is still unavailable due to concussion.
Kenrich Williams has been listed as out with a wrist injury and Luguentz Dort is questionable because of a shoulder problem. Aleksej Pokusevski is unavailable for tonight’s game because of a knee injury and Chet Holmgren is out for the season with a foot injury.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Utah Jazz: Injury List
| Player | Team | Status | Injury |
| Rudy Gay | Utah Jazz | Out | Back |
| Jordan Clarkson | Utah Jazz | Out | Finger |
| Lauri Markkenen | Utah Jazz | Out | Hand |
| Collin Sexton | Utah Jazz | Out | Hamstring |
| Walker Kessler | Utah Jazz | Out | Concussion |
| Kenrich WIlliams | Oklahoma City Thunder | Out | Wrist |
| Luguentz Dort | Oklahoma City Thunder | Questionable | Shoulder |
| Aleksej Pukosevski | Oklahoma City Thunder | Out | Knee |
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Utah Jazz: Betting Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Over/Under |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | -275 | -7 (-110) | O 239.5 (-110) |
| Utah Jazz | +230 | +7 (-110) | U 239.5 (-110) |
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Utah Jazz: Starting 5s
Thunder: F Luguentz Dort, F Jalen Williams, F Jaylin Williams, G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G Josh Giddie
Jazz: F Kelly Olynyk, F Luka Samanic, C Udoka Azubuike, G Ochai Agbaji, G Talen Horton-Tucker
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Utah Jazz: Betting Prediction
The Thunder has a 2-1 lead over the Jazz so far this season. They now have a chance away from home to win the series and keep their play-in hopes alive. The Thunder are just 15-25 on the road while the Jazz is 22-17 at home. But injuries to key players doesn’t give any advantage to the Jazz, despite being the home team. The Thunder are one of the best teams in offense, 5th overall, averaging 117.6 ppg whereas the Jazz is just below them at 6th, 117.3 ppg. Defensively, the Jazz is conceding more, 118.0 ppg while the Thunder are 21st, conceding 116.8 ppg.
Since the Thunder have a better squad at the moment and are more desperate for a win, expect them to cover the spread tonight.
Final Prediction: Oklahoma -7 (-110)
