Many reasons to like Oklahoma City Thunder as NBA odds home underdog

The Oklahoma City Thunder are home underdogs Thursday night with Russell Westbrook coming back for the first time. The NBA odds like the Thunder, though.

It’s fairly slim pickings Thursday night when looking for a winning NBA odds play, but on the four-game schedule there is one game that really stands out.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been the best team for bettors this season, covering 25 of their 37 games thus far, and they are getting 2½ points at home Thursday night when they host the Houston Rockets, according to information provided courtesy of The Action Network.

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The Thunder are 11-7 against the spread at home this season and are on a roll of seven consecutive covers. Oh, and did we mention this is the first game as a visitor for Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City? Fans will likely give Westbrook a warm reception (much as they did Paul George recently), but still win the game (much as they did against George and the Clippers).

Houston comes in on a road-road SEGABABA after winning at Atlanta Wednesday night, but not covering the eight-point spread in their 122-115 victory. However, Westbrook was held out of that game, as he has been on many back-to-backs by coach Mike D’Antoni this season, so fatigue is not likely to be as much of a factor for him.

The Rockets are 6-3 ATS in their last nine games, but just 3-3 ATS on the road, and they have covered just once in their last six meetings with Oklahoma City. The Thunder got the cover the first time these teams met, on Oct. 28 in Houston. The Rockets were 116-112 winners in that game, but OKC came in as 10-point underdogs.

Westbrook is an emotional player who walks that fine line between those emotions serving as fuel and them driving his game out of control in an attempt to do too much.

At some point, we have to recognize the Thunder are not what we expected them to be. Chris Paul has driven this team solidly into playoff position, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is breaking out as a star in his second season and Danilo Gallinari makes it impossible for defenses to sag, although Gallo has already been declared out Thursday because of a bruised calf.

Oklahoma City may not be an elite team, but it is a hot team and in the NBA odds game, that matters. Take the points, take the Thunder.

Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder

TV: AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Rockets), TNT (national)
Tickets: Chesapeake Energy Arena, 8:30 p.m. local (9:30 p.m. Eastern)
Records: Houston 25-11 (18-18 ATS, 9-10 road ATS), Oklahoma City 21-16 (25-12 ATS, 11-7 home ATS)

Availability report (as of 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday)
Houston: Not required to submit report until 2 p.m. Eastern. In Wednesday’s 122-115 win at Atlanta, the Rockets did not have Michael Frazier (two-way, G League), Gerald Green (left cuneiform fracture), Nene (left adductor strain), William Howard (two-way, G League) or Russell Westbrook (rest).
Oklahoma City: OUT–Luguentz Dort (two-way, G League), Danilo Gallinari (right calf contusion), Nerlens Noel (left ankle sprain), Andre Roberson (left knee injury recovery).

In the rest of Thursday’s limited NBA schedule, we find:

Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons

TV: Fox Sports Ohio (Cavaliers), Fox Sports Detroit (Pistons)
Tickets: Little Caesars Arena, 7 p.m. local (7 p.m. Eastern)
Records: Cleveland 10-27 (15-20-2 ATS, 7-9-1 road ATS), Detroit 14-24 (14-23-1 ATS, 8-10 home ATS)

Availability report
Cleveland: OUT–Dante Exum (illness), Larry Nance Jr. (left knee soreness), Kevin Porter Jr. (left knee sprain), Levi Randolph (two-way, G League), Dylan Windler (stress reaction, left lower leg).
Detroit: OUT–Jordan Bone (two-way, G League), Blake Griffin (left knee surgery), Reggie Jackson (stress reaction, left lumbar spine), Luke Kennard (bilateral patellar tendinitis), Markieff Morris (left foot sprain), Khyri Thomas (right foot surgery).

Notable: These teams met Tuesday in Cleveland and close out their home-and-home in Motown. The Cleveland Cavaliers lost a 115-113 decision Tuesday, but covered as 3½-point underdogs — their first cover in five games. The Detroit Pistons won the first meeting between the teams as well, blasting the host Cavs 127-94 as 3½-point favorites back on Dec. 3.

Detroit is just 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games, but will no longer be playing the existential “Waiting for Blake Griffin” game, as its All-Star is out indefinitely to have his left knee operated on. The Pistons are 1-2 ATS in their last three games at home and, despite two straight-up wins, are 1-2 ATS in their last three meetings with Cleveland.

Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia (76ers), TNT (national)
Tickets: Wells Fargo Center, 7 p.m. local (7 p.m. Eastern)
Records: Boston 25-10 (20-13-2 ATS, 11-6-1 road ATS), Philadelphia 24-14 (17-20-1 ATS, 9-9-1 home ATS)

Availability report
Boston: Not required to submit report until 1 p.m. Eastern. In Thursday’s 129-114 loss to the Spurs, Boston was without Romeo Langford (illness), Vincent Poirier (right pinkie fracture) and Robert Williams (left hip, bone edema).
Philadelphia: OUT–Joel Embiid (left ring finger), Marial Shayok (two-way, G League), Zhaire Smith (G League); PROBABLE–Matisse Thybulle (right knee sprain/bone bruise).

Notable: While the Philadelphia 76ers have taken the first two meetings this season with the Boston Celtics while going 2-0 ATS, the frontcourt-thin Celtics will not have to contend with Joel Embiid on Thursday, as the 76ers’ All-NBA center is out with a dislocated finger. The Celtics, however are on a home-road SEGABABA and are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven games.

Of course, the 76ers are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games, but the four games on the wrong end of that record were all on the road. Philadelphia won the first meeting with the Celtics on Oct. 23, 107-93 at home, and took a 115-109 win at Boston on Dec. 12. The 76ers should get a second-unit defensive boost with the likely return of Matisse Thybulle from a banged-up knee.

Portland Trail Blazers at Minnesota Timberwolves

TV: NBC Sports Northwest (Trail Blazers), Fox Sports North (Timberwolves)
Tickets: Target Center, 7 p.m. local (8 p.m. Eastern)
Records: Portland 16-22 (15-22-1 ATS, 9-12 road ATS), Minnesota 14-22 (15-19-2 ATS, 4-11-1 home ATS)

Availability report
Portland: OUT–Zach Collins (left shoulder dislocation), Rodney Hood (left Achilles tendon rupture), Skal Labissiere (left knee inflammation), Jusuf Nurkic (fractured left leg).
Minnesota: OUT–Jake Layman (left toe sprain), Jordan McLaughlin (two-way, G League), Jaylen Nowell (G League); QUESTIONABLE–Karl-Anthony Towns (left knee sprain).

Notable: Neither team is playing particularly well of late, with the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves each 4-6 in their last 10 games, respectively. But whereas Portland is just 3-6-1 ATS in that span, the Timberwolves have gone 6-3-1 ATS. The Blazers are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight games. Minnesota is 4-1 ATS in its last five.

These teams met in Portland on Dec. 21, with the Trail Blazers getting a 113-106 win and pushing against the seven-point spread. The Blazers are 10-2-1 in their last 13 against Minnesota, while the Wolves are just 2-9 in their last 11 games at Target Center. So there’s a lot to dislike about this game, not the least of which is the uncertain status of Karl-Anthony Towns for the Timberwolves.