The Sacramento Kings pay a visit to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on Tuesday night. Here’s a Thunder vs Kings Prediction. This article will include a Thunder vs Kings Pick.
Sacramento Kings Betting Preview
The Sacramento Kings have dropped two of their first three games overall and they will be hoping to bounce back in this one after falling short to a depleted Lakers team in a 127-120 home defeat on Sunday. Zach LaVine led the team in scoring with 32 points on 12 of 24 shooting, DeMar DeRozan added 21 points on nine of 22 shooting, Russell Westbrook tallied 18 points with six assists while Malik Monk chipped in with 15 points.
As a team, the Kings shot 44 percent from the field and 18 of 43 from the 3-point line, which are decent enough numbers. However, their problems were on the defensive end as they just had no answer for the Lakers’ Austin Reaves who torched them for a career-high 51 points, shooting 21 of 22 from the free throw line.
Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder are still undefeated on the season and they are now aiming for a fifth straight victory after taking down the Mavericks in a 101-94 road win last night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with 23 points and eight assists, Chet Holmgren added 18 points with 11 rebounds and four blocks, Ajay Mitchell provided the spark off the bench with 17 points on seven of 14 shooting. Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in with 16 points and 12 rebounds on eight of 11 shooting.
As a team, the Thunder shot 46 percent from the field and just six of 30 from the 3-point line as they kept the Mavericks to just 18 points in the second quarter to take a narrow lead into halftime. Before they exploded for 39 points in the third quarter to put the game to bed early with a 22-point lead.
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder will win
- The Thunder have won each of their last 28 games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Kings have lost each of their last 10 Tuesday games against Northwest Division opponents that held a winning record.
- The favorites have covered the spread in each of the last six games between the Kings and Thunder.
- The Kings have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five games.
Why the Sacramento Kings will win
- The Kings have won four of their last five games as underdogs when playing with a rest advantage.
- The Thunder have lost three of their last four games as home favorites on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- The Kings have covered the spread in seven of their last eight road games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Thunder have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four home games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Thunder’s last four home games on the second leg of a back-to-back have gone OVER the total points line.
- Four of the Kings’ last five games as road underdogs against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back have gone OVER the total points line.
Oklahoma City Thunder Player Facts
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded three games with 3+ assists this season – equal-most of any player in the league.
- Cason Wallace has recorded 3+ steals in three consecutive appearances – equal-longest active streak of any player in the league.
Sacramento Kings Player Facts
- DeMar DeRozan has recorded three games with 3+ assists this season – equal-most of any player in the league.
- Dennis Schroder has recorded three games with 3+ assists this season – equal-most of any player in the league.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Thunder rank T1st in the league for turnovers per game this season (13.0).
- Three different Thunder players have scored 25+ points in a game this season – equal-most in the league.
- The Kings rank 30th in the league for free throw percentage this season (64.3%).
- The Kings rank 30th in the league for free throws made per game this season (12.0).
Thunder vs Kings Prediction
The Kings are still slightly shorthanded with Keegan Murray still out, while the Thunder are missing a host of players including Jalen Williams, Isaiah Joe, Alex Caruso and Kenrich Williams. The Kings were competitive in their narrow loss to the Lakers in their last outing, but they probably should’ve done better, as the Lakers were missing two of their best players in Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Meanwhile, the Thunder have stormed out of the gates with four wins in a row, despite having a bunch of key players on the sidelines. The line is a bit hefty, but the Thunder have won the last five meetings between these teams, all of which have been double-digit blowouts.