2024 NBA bets, lines and stats for Thursday - ESPN

Thursday night's NBA slate features five games to choose from. However, I am most interested in the game between the Utah Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder in Salt Lake City. As one of the hottest teams in the league, the Jazz have significant momentum going into tonight's game.

With a six-game winning streak, Utah is tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the longest active streak. On the other hand, the Thunder have lost consecutive games. This matchup is intriguing because Oklahoma City (10-15) and Utah (12-3) have both played well over the past 15 games. I'm looking forward to seeing which team comes out with the win.

Lauri Markkanen over 36.5 points, rebounds and assists. In the past five games, he has averaged 26.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. Also, Markkanen will be playing at home, which is a plus. Markkanen scored 43 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out two assists the last time he faced the Thunder at home, back on Feb. 23, 2023.

Luguentz Dort over 16.5 points, rebounds and assists. He has an excellent matchup against a Jazz team that ranks 22nd in points allowed per 100 possessions. Over the past five games, Dort has averaged 13.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists. The narrow spread indicates a close game. Also, the game has the second-highest point total on the slate, which suggests a lot of scoring. Dort should be busy in this matchup.

Isaiah Hartenstein over 21.5 points and rebounds. In the past eight games, he has averaged 9.3 points and 14.6 rebounds. All season long, the Wizards have been torched by centers. As a team, Washington gives up the second most points per game and the most rebounds per game to the position. Hartenstein is in a great spot here.

Luke Kennard over 3.5 assists.