At 8:00 ET, the Sacramento Kings (-231) will travel to take on the New Orleans Pelicans (+192) in a Western Conference matchup. Sacramento is currently favored by 6 points and has won two straight games. New Orleans is 5-20 on the season and has lost two straight.
This game will be played at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and can be seen on NBCS.
SACRAMENTO KINGS VS NEW ORLEANS PELICANS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Sacramento Kings -6
This game will be played at Smoothie King Center at 8:00 ET on Thursday, December 12th.
WHY BET THE SACRAMENTO KINGS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 132-106 in favor of the Kings.
- Our projections have De’Aaron Fox finishing with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
- From the field, we have the Kings finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.1% and knocking down 14 threes.
Will the Kings Defense Show Up on the Road?
The Kings improved to 12-13 on the season with a dominant 141-97 win over the Jazz on Sunday. Sacramento, who were -11 point favorites, covered the spread with ease. The total points for the game reached 238, just surpassing the O/U line of 235.
After a close 1st quarter, the Kings took control by outscoring the Jazz 36-22 in the 2nd quarter. A 12-0 run extended their lead from 89-72 to 101-72, and they finished strong by outscoring Utah 36-23 in the final quarter.
In their 141-97 win over the Jazz, the Kings shot 57% from the field and hit 22 threes at a 50% clip. Kevin Huerter led the way with 26 points, knocking down 6 threes at 66.7% efficiency.
De’Aaron Fox added 21 points, and Domantas Sabonis contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds. Doug McDermott scored all 18 of his points in the 4th quarter.
The Kings put together a strong defensive performance on Sunday, holding the Jazz to just 97 points. Sacramento gave up 23 points in both the 1st and 4th quarters and limited Utah to 22 points in the 2nd. The Jazz shot 38% from the field.
From beyond the arc, Utah hit 15 threes on 35% shooting. The Jazz also went 20/21 from the free-throw line. The Kings grabbed 34 defensive rebounds, allowing 9 offensive boards, and added 10 steals and 7 blocks.
Can the Pelicans Offense Score Enough at Home?
The Pelicans fell to 5-20 after a 121-116 road loss to the Spurs on Sunday. New Orleans entered the game as +7 point underdogs and managed to cover the spread, though they couldn’t pull off the win. The total score of 237 points exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 223.5 by 13.5 points.
New Orleans started strong, leading 34-28 after the 1st quarter, but a 43-point 2nd quarter by the Spurs, including an 11-0 run, put them in a hole. The Pelicans fought back, winning the 3rd quarter 25-21 and keeping pace in the 4th, but couldn’t close the gap.
Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 25 points and 6 rebounds in their 121-116 loss to the Spurs, hitting 4 threes at a 40% clip. CJ McCollum added 19 points and 5 assists, while Yves Missi contributed 18 points and 14 boards.
New Orleans connected on 13 threes, shooting 34.2% from deep and 43.4% overall. Murphy scored 10 points in the 1st quarter and added 9 more in the 4th.
Despite a strong defensive effort in the 3rd quarter, the Pelicans couldn’t overcome a rough 2nd quarter, where they allowed 43 points, leading to a 121-116 loss to the Spurs. New Orleans held San Antonio to 12 made threes on 30% shooting from beyond the arc.
The Pelicans sent the Spurs to the line 31 times, where they converted 25 free throws. New Orleans gave up 16 offensive rebounds but managed to record 9 steals and 8 blocks in the game.