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The NBA regular season continues with games on Friday. The Sacramento Kings will travel to take on the Charlotte Hornets. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Kings-Hornets prediction and pick.
These two teams have had different levels of success this season. The Sacramento Kings are 11-14, but have managed to win their last three games. While the Charlotte Hornets are 14-13 and have lost their last two games. This should be a great game between two tough teams.
Here are the odds for the Kings-Hornets Friday night NBA matchup, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Kings-Hornets Odds
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Sacramento Kings: +1 (-118)
Charlotte Hornets: -1 (-104)
Over: 231 (-108)
Under: 231 (-112)
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread
The Sacramento Kings struggled early in the season, but have since been gaining momentum. Through their first 25 games they only have 11 wins, three of which have come in their past three games. The Kings are coming off a 12 point victory over the Orlando Magic. They will look to carry momentum from that win into this match against the Hornets. If the Kings can keep on doing everything right that they have done in their last three games, they should be able to pull ahead of Charlotte.
The game between Sacramento and Orlando was very even across most categories, however the Kings were able to edge out the Magic in just about everything. Sacramento won that game 142 -130. Both the Magic and the Kings took 97 shots in that game, but Sacramento shot 5% better, finishing 54.6% from the field and 44.1% from beyond the arc. These two teams also had the exact same number of total rebounds at 43. The biggest difference in any statistic, besides shot percentage, was turnovers. The Magic turned over the ball 4 more times than the Kings, which was likely Orlando's costliest mistake. The Kings played great in that game and will look to repeat that performance on Friday.
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Leading the way for this Sacramento team is De'Aaron Fox. Fox has quickly become one of the most hyped players in the NBA. His explosiveness and talent as a player just make him fun to watch. In their win over Orlando, Fox had 33 points and went 12-18 from the field and a perfect 2-2 from beyond the arc. Fox looked fantastic in that win. He took great shots and shot them with extremely high efficiency. If he can continue to make great decisions and shoot the ball well, this Kings team could easily come out ahead.
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the most hyped up teams in the NBA. Their roster is young and talented which makes them extremely fun to watch. Through their first 27 games they have managed to win 14 and have a winning record. However, the Hornets are coming off back to back losses and need to turn things around. Charlotte played a tough Philly team in their last two games and lost by three and four points. The Hornets were very competitive but just couldn't pull out ahead, expect them to try and turn things around on Friday.
In their most recent loss to the 76ers, Charlotte and Philadelphia were pretty even in most categories. The Hornets actually took more shots, 80 compared to Philly's 75, and made more, 39 compared to 36. Where the Hornets fell behind was in free throws. Charlotte gave Philadelphia too many opportunities to pull ahead from the stripe. The Sixers took 9 more free throws than Charlotte, 30 compared to 21, and made 7 more, 25 compared to 18. If the Hornets want to win on Friday they will need to not sabotage themselves. Giving their opponents free shots really came back to bite this team, if they can correct that mistake and not self sabotage, then the Hornets could easily win this game.
Two players that shined in their loss to Philadelphia were Miles Bridges and Gordon Hayward. Bridges has been having a phenomenal season, and continues to be an important part of this team. On Wednesday he had a solid outing, dropping 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Even more impressive was Gordon Hayward. In over 40 minutes of play, Hayward had 31 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. With LaMelo Ball out there is plenty of opportunity for these players to step up, and they have been doing so. If this duo can repeat Wednesday's performance, then Charlotte should win this game.
Final Kings-Hornets Prediction & Pick
This game could easily come down to the wire. The Hornets are definitely the better team, but the Kings have momentum. Sacramento has won their last three games, while Charlotte has lost their last two. The Hornets are also dealing with some injuries, while the Kings are mostly healthy. With that said, the Hornets are still the more talented team and should be able to pull out ahead in this match. Pick Charlotte to win and cover.
FINAL KINGS-HORNETS PICK: Charlotte Hornets -1 (-104)
FINAL KINGS-HORNETS SCORE PREDICTION: Hornets 110 – Kings 103
