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It's a battle of the young point guard phenoms as the Sacramento Kings continue their East Coast road trip. The Kings are looking to come back after a drubbing courtesy of the Atlanta Hawks, while the Hornets will be attempting to stay in the playoff hunt and add to their three-game winning streak. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Kings-Hornets prediction and pick.
Here’s how the sportsbooks are lining up this contest.
NBA Odds: Kings-Hornets odds
Sacramento Kings +3 (-108)
Charlotte Hornets -3 (-112)
Over 239.5 Points (-110)
Under 239.5 Points (-110)
Why the Kings could cover the spread
If there is one big overarching rule in basketball betting, it is never to comfortably bet against a team that can shoot. They might lose, but they will make it a game.
The Kings can keep up with anyone. De'Aaron Fox is still a blur in the open court and will have no trouble scoring against Charlotte's hapless perimeter defense. Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes offer a robust and diverse scoring punch, and Tyrese Haliburton has a puncher's chance to compete with LaMelo Ball for the ROY race.
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The Kings also have plenty of size in Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes, who are two very solid, very un-sexy names who can wreak havoc on any Hornet inside not named Bismack Biyombo.
Even better, the Hornets, while over .500 and playing well, are 2-4 against the spread when favored by more than three points. Meanwhile, the Kings can scare literally anyone, only narrowly losing to a defensive juggernaut in the Lakers, as well as to the Hornets themselves by only one point.
Why the Hornets could cover the spread
Two words: LaMelo Ball.
While he might not yet quite be the best player on this Hornets squad, the rookie phenom and ROY frontrunner is the engine that runs the Hornets' offense. He is a better shooter than expected, and he has the elite vision and instincts that come with being a 6-foot-6 point guard. And the best part is that he uses those instincts.
Not to be outdone by Sacramento, Charlotte's own perimeter attack is staggering. Ball has a great running mate in Gordon Hayward. This composes a huge backcourt that can actually shift up in position to allow a smaller, quicker guard like Terry Rozier or Malik Monk to benefit from a lack of defensive attention on the weak side. The Hornets are also very switchable on the other end, with Ball and Gordon Hayward able to potentially defend four positions if they want to. Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington have both been solid defensively for this team, and Fox will be cautious to drive against the likes of Biyombo and Cody Zeller.
Final Kings-Hornets Prediction & Pick
While it is traditionally unwise to pick against an underdog as intriguing as Sacramento (especially against an at-times inconsistent Hornets team), Charlotte is hitting its stride. The Hornets recently eked one out against Sacramento, and if they bring it, which they have been, they have better scouting behind them now to take down the Kings once more, in decisive fashion this time around.
If the spread were larger, the Kings could easily cover, but these odds are telling us to expect a decently close game. Don't expect that to be the case as Charlotte continues to grow into its own. The Kings simply don't have the single-target firepower of Ball and Hayward, and they don't have a singular playmaker that can keep up with Ball's decision-making. Throw in the length that Charlotte can throw at them, and it's a wrap if they can keep themselves buttoned up.
FINAL SCORE & PREDICTION FOR KINGS @ HORNETS: CHA 119, SAC 110 (CHA -3)
