The Sacramento Kings travel to the Ball Arena to do battle with the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. Here’s a Nuggets vs Kings Prediction. This article will include a Nuggets vs Kings Pick.
Sacramento Kings Betting Preview
The Sacramento Kings have matched their worst start in franchise history after getting mauled by the Grizzlies in a 137-96 loss on Thursday for their eighth straight defeat. Zach LaVine led the team with 26 points on 10 of 17 shooting, Maxime Raynaud added 12 points off the bench while Russell Westbrook chipped in with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
As a team, the Kings shot 46 percent from the field and 11 of 33 from the 3-point line. But the writing was on the wall early in this one as the Kings fell into an early hole that only got deeper with each passing quarter. DeMar DeRozan had a quiet game of just seven points in 15 minutes of action while Dennis Schroder finished with just three points on zero of eight shooting off the bench in a night to forget.
Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been in terrific form as they’ve won 12 of their first 15 games of the season and they will be eager to stay hot after last night’s 112-109 road win over the Rockets. Nikola Jokic led the team with 34 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists on 11 of 20 shooting, Jamal Murray added 26 points with 10 assists while Tim Hardaway Jr chipped in with 12 points off the bench.
As a team, the Nuggets shot 53 percent from the field and 11 of 29 from the 3-point line as they held the Rockets to just 12 points in the first quarter. They then allowed 37 points in the second quarter in a rollercoaster of a first half. But when the game went down to the business end, it was the Nuggets who went on a pivotal 7-1 run late in the fourth quarter to pull ahead and escape with the narrow win. Jokic shot free throws with just 2.7 seconds left on the clock.
Why the Denver Nuggets will win
- The Kings have lost each of their last 11 road games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Nuggets have won each of their last 10 night games against Kings teams that held a losing record.
- The favorites have covered the spread in eight of the Kings’ last nine games.
- The Kings have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight games.
Why the Sacramento Kings will win
- The road team has won each of the Nuggets’ last six games.
- The Nuggets have lost eight of their last nine games after winning as underdogs.
- The Kings have covered the spread in each of their last six games as road underdogs when playing with a rest advantage.
- The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five home games against Pacific Division opponents that held a losing record.
Total Points Facts
- Eight of the Nuggets’ last nine games against Pacific Division opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Kings’ last five games against Western Conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for Q3 points per game this season (33.1).
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for Q1 win percentage this season (73.3%).
- The Kings rank 30th in the league for opponent field goal percentage this season (50.7%).
- The Kings rank 30th in the league for Q4 win percentage this season (12.5%).
Nuggets vs Kings Prediction
The Kings are going to be shorthanded again with Domantas Sabonis ruled out, while the Nuggets are still missing Julian Strawther, Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon. The Kings have been in a world of hurt as they’ve really been struggling for form despite having a relatively healthy roster with plenty of talent. In contrast, the Nuggets are a little banged up right now, but they’ve been rolling through teams and will be full of confidence after outlasting the red-hot Rockets in a gritty road win last night. The Nuggets were always going to be heavy favorites at home and I am happy to lay the points given the mess that the Kings are at the moment.