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The Sacramento Kings will face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Kings-Lakers prediction and pick.
Neither of these teams have lived up to their preseason expectations. The Kings have been one of the worst teams in the Western Conference, earning themselves a record of 7-12 and a coaching switch. Sacramento obviously still has a chance of playing its way into the postseason, but this squad needs to turn things around quickly under interim head coach Alvin Gentry.
The Lakers have arguably been the league's biggest disappointment, as they were billed as championship contenders entering the season. All Los Angeles has earned is a .500 record and the 10th seed in the West. This is the perfect opportunity to turn things around for the Lakers, so let's get into the pick for this Friday night showdown.
Here are the Kings-Lakers odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Kings-Lakers Odds
Sacramento Kings: +7.5 (-110)
Los Angeles Lakers: -7.5 (-110)
Over: 230 (-110)
Under: 230 (-110)
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Why the Kings Can Cover the Spread
When the Kings do manage to win, it's almost entirely because of their offense. Sacramento ranks 10th in the league in points per game with 109 while ranking just outside the top 10 in most other offensive metrics. They just dropped 121 points on the Portland Trail Blazers in an upset win, and now they face a very questionable Lakers defense. Los Angeles allows 113 points per game, the second-worst number in the league. It seems like everyone who faces the Lakers has a good day from the field, and that won't change here.
The Lakers have been the worst team in the league when it comes to covering the spread. Los Angeles has only managed to cover 35% of the time, and the numbers get even worse when we look at this matchup. Head coach Frank Vogel's squad currently owns a 3-9 record ATS when they enter the game as a favorite, and playing at home hasn't helped them much. This is a pretty solid matchup for the Kings, especially as big underdogs.
Why the Lakers Can Cover the Spread
There is a clear talent gap between these two teams. The Lakers have some top-flight players who just haven't quite jelled yet, but the same can't be said about the Kings. Sacramento has dropped eight of its last 10 games, with some of those losses coming against teams like the Toronto Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Kings are a subpar team that just went through a coaching change, so the pure talent that the Lakers possess may be enough to cover here.
Luckily for Los Angeles, the Kings haven't been great against the spread either. Sacramento is 8-11 ATS on the year, a record that puts them in the bottom 10 of the league. To make matters even better, the Kings are 4-7 against the spread when they enter the game as an underdog, and 2-4 ATS after a win. It's certainly possible that Sacramento is getting too much credit in this game.
Final Kings-Lakers Prediction & Pick:
Both of these teams are impossible to trust against the spread. The over is the best pick here. Both defenses are below average at best, and both offenses are more than capable of big offensive days. Get ready for a lot of points.
Final Kings-Lakers Pick: Over: 230 (-110)
