The Utah Jazz play host to the Sacramento Kings at the Delta Center on Friday night. Here’s a Jazz vs Kings Prediction. This article will include a Jazz vs Kings Pick.
Sacramento Kings Betting Preview
The Sacramento Kings have been disappointing so far this season, but they were building some momentum with two nice wins in a row before they got stopped by the Suns in a 112-100 loss on Wednesday. Russell Westbrook led the team with 19 points and eight rebounds on eight of 13 shooting, Keegan Murray added 19 points, Malik Monk scored 15 points off the bench while Drew Eubanks chipped in with 14 points. As a team, the Kings shot 47 percent from the field and 12 of 34 from the 3-point line, but they got off to a terrible start and allowed 41 points in the first quarter to fall behind by 25 points. Before they went on a rally in the second half to cut the lead to just eight points at one stage.
Utah Jazz Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz have been in poor form as they’ve lost eight of their last 10 games. They will be looking to put an end to a four-game losing streak after getting thrashed by the Warriors in a 134-117 road defeat on Monday. Keyonte George led the team with 28 points, six rebounds and seven assists on 10 of 17 shooting, Ace Bailey added 21 points, Lauri Markkanen tallied 17 points while Brice Sensabaugh chipped in with 16 points off the bench. As a team, the Jazz shot 47 percent from the field and 11 of 36 from the 3-point line as they looked to be off to a great start after pouring in 35 points in the first quarter to take an early 11-point lead. But that didn’t last long at all as the Jazz were already trailing before halftime after getting outscored by 41-20 in the second quarter. Things only got worse in the second half where the Jazz trailed by 26 points before their bench scored in garbage time to keep the final margin somewhat respectable.
Why the Utah Jazz will win
- The Kings have lost 14 of their last 15 road games when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Jazz have won 21 of their last 24 home games against Pacific Division opponents that held a losing record.
- The Jazz have covered the spread in eight of their last nine home games following a loss.
- The Kings have failed to cover the spread in five of their last six games against teams that held a losing record.
Why the Sacramento Kings will win
- The Kings have won each of their last nine games against the Jazz.
- The Jazz have lost each of their last eight games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Kings have covered the spread in six of their last seven road games against Northwest Division opponents.
- The Jazz have failed to cover the spread in nine of their last 10 Friday games.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Kings’ last seven games against the Jazz following a home loss have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Jazz’s last seven games as home favorites following a road loss have gone OVER the total points line.
Utah Jazz Player Facts
- Lauri Markkanen ranks 1st amongst qualified Centers for three-pointers made per game (3.4) this season.
- Jusuf Nurkic ranks 7th amongst qualified players for rebounds per 36 minutes (14.0) this season.
Sacramento Kings Player Facts
- DeMar DeRozan ranks 3rd amongst qualified Forwards for FT% (89.8%) this season.
- Russell Westbrook is one of only 10 qualified players in the league to be leading their team in rebounds (6.9) and assists (6.4) per game this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Jazz rank 30th in the league for opponent assists per game this season (30.1).
- The Jazz rank 30th in the league for turnovers per game this season (17.4).
- The Kings rank 30th in the league for blocks per game this season (3.4).
- The Kings have used 13 different starting fives this season – most in the league.
Jazz vs Kings Prediction
The Kings are still shorthanded with Domantas Sabonis out and they are keeping an eye on Dennis Schroder who is day to day, while the Jazz have ruled out Georges Niang and Kessler Walker again. The Kings have looked like a mess so far this season as there are plenty of games where the reserves outplay the starters which is why we are seeing so many lineup changes. The Jazz haven’t been much better as they are currently on a four-game losing streak after getting smashed by the Warriors in their last game. However, they are a much better team at home where they are 4-5 so far this season. This is a tough one to pick as it’s hard to trust either squad, but the Jazz are a young team who really thrive off their home crowd and I think that will be the difference in a close one.