Is Jalen Williams Playing Today? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Thunder vs. Cavs)

Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams suffered a hamstring injury on Saturday night against the Miami Heat, and he's expected to be sidelined indefinitely with the injury.

Williams was quickly ruled out for Monday afternoon's matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it appears he could be facing an extended absence for the second time this season.

Jalen Williams is out tomorrow vs the Cavs.

JDub injury is listed as a hamstring strain.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) January 18, 2026

Williams missed the first 19 games of the 2025-26 season as he recovered from offseason wrist surgery, and the Thunder dominated without him, winning 18 of those 19 games. Since Williams return, the Thunder have come back to earth a bit, going 17-7 in the 24 games that he's played in.

OKC still has the best record in the NBA, and it's set as a road favorite against Cleveland even with Williams out of the lineup.

This season, the All-NBA forward has not been as effective as he was in the 2024-25 campaign when the Thunder won the NBA Finals. Williams is averaging 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 47.0 percent from the field and just 30.0 percent from 3.

The Thunder have enough depth to allow Williams to rest and fully heal from his hamstring injury, but how will it impact them on Monday?

Here's a look at my favorite player prop for OKC with Williams sidelined against the Cavs.

Best Thunder Prop Bet vs. Cavs

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Ajay Mitchell OVER 14.5 Points (-124)

Former second-round pick Ajay Mitchell has become a reliable secondary scorer for the Thunder (behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) this season, and he was even better in the 19 games that Williams missed to open the campaign.

Mitchell averaged 15.9 points on 12.5 shots per game during that stretch, shooting 46.4 percent from the field. He's now averaging 14.2 points per game for the season, nearly a two-point drop off from his average without Williams. In 22 games with Williams in the lineup, Mitchell is averaging 12.7 points on 9.2 shots per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field.

So, the young guard has been more efficient when Williams is in the lineup, but he's seen way less volume. That makes sense, as a lot of the non-SGA minutes are now dominated by Williams, but that won't be the case against Cleveland.

The Cavs are just 15th in the NBA in defensive rating this season, and they're allowing over 26 points per game to opposing point guards. That's a good sign for Mitchell, who should play more minutes on Monday where he is the focal point of the offense.

I think he's a solid value bet with Williams out of the lineup, and he could push his early-season numbers once again if the star wing is sidelined for an extended stretch.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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