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The Sacramento Kings (14-12) visit the Toronto Raptors (13-14) on Wednesday night. Action tips off at 7:40 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Kings-Raptors prediction and pick.
Sacramento has lost three of their last four games but still sits in seventh in the Western Conference. The Kings are against 16-10 the spread while 56% of their games have gone under. Toronto has also lost three of their last four which has dropped them to ninth in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors are 14-13 against the spread while 52% of their games have gone under. This will be the first of two meetings between the teams. Toronto won both matchups last season.
Here are the Kings-Raptors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Kings-Raptors Odds
Sacramento Kings: +5 (-112)
Toronto Raptors: -5 (-108)
Over: 232.5 (-110)
Under: 232.5 (-110)
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread
Sacramento has cooled off since a blistering stretch that propelled them back into the playoff conversation but still remains firmly in the mix. The Kings feature an elite offense that ranks second in scoring and sixth in offensive rating. They're somewhat vulnerable on defense, ranking 20th in points allowed and 16th in defensive rating. The Kings are an average rebounding team that ranks 16th in rebound differential and 14th in rebound rate.
Sacramento has really found something with their young duo of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. The two are the Kings' leading scorers with Fox averaging 22.3 PPG and Sabonis averaging 17.3 PPG. Both players have been highly efficient as Fox shoots 50% from the field and Sabonis shoots 61%. Sabonis leads the team in rebounding (11.3 RPG) and assists (6.4 APG), although Fox himself is a solid distributor, averaging 5.4 APG. They've provided Sacramento with a solid foundation and sense of consistency on a night-to-night basis. That being said, the Kings will need Fox to snap out of a seven-game slump if they want to cover as road underdogs tonight. Fox hasn't eclipsed 20 points over that span and the team is just 3-4 as a result.
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While Fox and Sabonis provide Sacramento with a strong floor, they'll need one of their multitude of role players to step up if they want to cover. Recently, those role players have been Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter. Both Monk (14.5 PPG) and Huerter (15.3) are streaky scorers who can get hot from beyond the arc at a moment's notice. Hurter in particular has been on fire from three this season. He's shooting 41% from three while attempting seven threes per game. Huerter has struggled lately, averaging just 13.6 PPG on 39% shooting over his last five games. That being said, he's a constant scoring threat who could easily swing tonight's game.
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
Toronto hasn't quite put everything together this season despite strong underlying metrics. The Raptors' biggest issues lie on the offensive end where they rank just 20th in scoring and 15th in offensive rating. They've been a strong defensive team, however, ranking sixth in points allowed and tenth in defensive rating. They're also solid on the glass as they rank tenth in rebound differential and sixth in rebound rate. Toronto will notably be without OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Otto Porter Jr. tonight due to injuries.
Toronto has all the makings of a playoff-caliber team but hasn't found sustained success thus far. That being said, they have a great chance to cover the spread tonight thanks to their stellar team defense and Pascal Siakam's individual offensive output. Siakam missed some time early on but has been tremendous when healthy. For the season, Siakam averages 24.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 7.1 APG – all of which lead Toronto. He's been incredibly efficient as well, shooting 48% from the field. Siakam has been Toronto's most consistent offensive weapon and is a constant triple-double threat. Although he is coming off a down performance against Orlando, he's been stellar in general lately. Across his last four games, the forward has averaged 27.3 PPG on 46% shooting. Sacramento has had trouble containing opposing wings – giving Siakam a clear avenue to a big night.
With OG Anunoby out tonight, Toronto will need point guard Fred VanVleet to step up in a big way if they want to cover a hefty home spread. VanVleet has struggled mightily this season, particularly from a scoring standpoint. Although he averages 17 PPG, VanVleet is shooting just 36% from the field and 33% from three. Those are atrocious numbers and are a major reason for Toronto's inconsistency. A date with Sacramento's soft defense could be just what VanVleet needs to get back on track.
Final Kings-Raptors Prediction & Pick
With Anunoby out, I like Sacramento to keep things close as big road dogs in Toronto. The Kings' defense is cause for concern, but with the Raptors missing their defensive linchpin they should be able to turn this into a shootout.
Final Kings-Raptors Prediction & Pick: Sacramento Kings +5 (-108)
