The Sacramento Kings invade the Intuit Dome to do battle with the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night. Here’s a Clippers vs. Kings prediction. This article will include a Clippers vs. Kings pick.
Sacramento Kings Betting Preview
The Sacramento Kings have been much more competitive lately, as they’ve won four of their last nine games following an ugly 16-game skid, but they will be looking to bounce back in this one after coming up just short to the Hornets in a 117-109 loss on Wednesday. DeMar DeRozan led the team with 39 points and six assists on 17 of 22 shooting, Nique Clifford added 18 points with eight assists, and Precious Achiuwa chipped in with 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists. As a team, the Kings shot 54 percent from the field and eight of 25 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with 34 points in the first quarter to take the lead into halftime, but the Kings allowed the Hornets to open the third quarter on an 8-0 run, which had them just a step behind the rest of the way as no one could give DeRozan enough scoring support.
Los Angeles Clippers Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers have been on a tear lately, as they’ve won seven of their last eight games overall and they will be gunning for a fifth straight victory after blowing past the Bulls in a 119-108 home win last night. Kawhi Leonard led the team with 28 points, Bennedict Mathurin added 26 points on 10 of 19 shooting off the bench, and Jordan Miller chipped in with 14 points. As a team, the Clippers shot 48 percent from the field and nine of 32 from the 3-point line as they set the tone early with 33 points in the first quarter to jump out in front and while they didn’t have their best game offensively, the Clippers were always just a couple steps ahead of the Bulls in a game where they never led by more than 14 points.
Why the Los Angeles Clippers will win
- The Kings have lost each of their last 13 games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Clippers have won each of their last 12 night games against the Kings following a home win.
- The Clippers have covered the spread in each of their last 10 home games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Kings have failed to cover the spread in each of their last eight road games against Pacific Division opponents.
Why the Sacramento Kings will win
- The Kings have won each of their last two games on the road as underdogs following a loss.
- The Clippers have lost each of their last four Saturday games as home favorites.
- The Kings have covered the spread in each of their last six Saturday games against Clippers teams that held a winning record.
- The Clippers have failed to cover the spread in six of their last seven games against Pacific Division opponents that held a losing record.
Total Points Facts
- Five of the Clippers’ last six games have gone OVER the total points line.
- Eight of the Kings’ last 10 games as underdogs following a home loss have gone OVER the total points line.
Los Angeles Clippers Player Facts
- Kawhi Leonard ranks 2nd in the league for fast break points (261) this season.
- Kris Dunn ranks 3rd in the Western Conference amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.5) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Clippers rank 30th in the league for assists per game this season (23.7).
- The Clippers rank 1st in the league for free throw percentage this season (83.1%).
- The Kings rank 30th in the league for three-point percentage this season (33.5%).
- The Kings rank 30th in the league for three-point field goals made per game this season (10.0).
Clippers vs Kings Prediction
The Kings are still missing Keegan Murray, Devin Carter, De’Andre Hunter, Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, while the Clippers have ruled out John Collins, Bradley Beal and Darius Garland again. The Kings have been playing better in recent games and they were right there with the Hornets on Wednesday thanks to a big game from DeRozan, but it’s going to be tough to replicate that effort against the Clippers, who are on a roll at the moment. The Clippers are still missing Garland, but they play solid defense and can rely on Leonard and Mathurin to carry their offense. Maybe the Kings get off to a quick start, but I have the Clippers winning this one comfortably in the end.