Thunder vs. Jazz same-game parlay predictions Jan. 18: Bet on Utah to cover alt spread vs. Oklahoma City
The red-hot Utah Jazz host the Oklahoma City Thunder in Salt Lake City on Thursday.
The pregame narrative: The Jazz are one of the best home teams in the NBA, which is why backing them to cover an alternate spread is included in this parlay. Also, bet on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to top his assist prop and Lauri Markkanen to be active on the glass.
NBA oddsas of 9:13 a.m. on 01/18/2023.
Thunder vs. Jazz same-game parlay
Parlay: Jazz +6.5 + Gilgeous-Alexander over 5.5 assists + Markkanen over 8.5 rebounds (+295)
Jazz +6.5 (-190): The Jazz are the best team in the league at covering the spread at home (16-4-0) and they are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 overall.
Utah's game last night was postponed, so the team avoided the fatigue factor in this one. But the Jazz still find themselves with an underdog price tag.
That's understandable as OKC is second in the West (27-13). On the road, however, the Thunder are a pedestrian 11-8. On top of that, they're playing their sixth game in nine days, so it's a tough ask for them to win by seven-plus in Utah.
Lastly, the Jazz are top-two in both offensive rebounds (12.8/game) and total rebounds (46.6/game), whereas Oklahoma City is the third-worst team on the glass (41.1/game). This could limit chances for the Thunder if they're missing their shots.
Other parlay picks
Gilgeous-Alexander over 5.5 assists (-165): The Canadian All-NBA point guard is more known for his scoring, but a matchup with the Jazz will have him relying on his playmaking chops.
Utah allows the second most assists to PGs (10.24/game) due to second-year centre, Walker Kessler, who sends back 2.6 shots per game. This forces point guards to look for better options when driving to the rim.
In their first meeting this year, SGA recorded seven assists.
Markkanen over 8.5 rebounds (-180): Markkanen has been a beast on the glass lately. The seventh-year forward has brought down nine-plus boards in each of his past six games.
Now, he matches up with the Thunder, who allow the third-most rebounds to power forwards (11.0/game), according to Fantasy Pros.
Referring to earlier, the Thunder are a poor rebounding team overall. Look for Utah's seven-footer to take advantage.
