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Our coverage of Sunday's NBA slate continues as we make our prediction and pick for this next competitive matchup taking place in the Western Conference. The New Orleans Pelicans (21-15) will travel to take on the Sacramento Kings (21-13) as both teams come in winning four of their last five games. Check out our NBA odds series for our Pelicans-Kings prediction and pick.
The New Orleans Pelicans are currently first in the Southeast Division and they've taken the seven-spot in the Western Conference standings. They're winners of four of their last five games, but they'll come into this one following a 95-111 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. They've had the Kings' number all year going 3-0 against them on the season so far.
The Sacramento Kings are second in the Pacific Division and they hold the five-spot in the Western Conference. They too, have won four of their last five games and come into this one riding back-to-back wins over the Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors. They'll host the Pelicans for the second time this season looking to break their cold streak against them.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pelicans-Kings Odds
New Orleans Pelicans: +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +134
Sacramento Kings: -3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -158
Over: 234.5 (-110)
Under: 234.5 (-110)
How to Watch Pelicans vs. Kings
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET/ 3:00 p.m. PT
TV: Regional Coverage, NBA League Pass
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread
The New Orleans Pelicans have seen a recent spark to their game over the last week and much of that can be attributed to Zion Williamson's production in scoring the ball. He's been hitting another gear with his activity and aggression towards the basket and it's been paying off for his team to see a Duke-like Zion once again. While they suffered a tough double-digit loss in their last game, the Clippers are currently the hottest team in the NBA and haven't been able to be stopped. Prior to that, the Pelicans had consecutive, quality wins over the Timberwolves, Nets, Lakers, and Jazz. If Williamson can continue to sustain play at this kind of level, the Pelicans immediately become playoff contenders in the East.
The Pelicans have supreme confidence over the Kings having already beat them three times this season. They're a much taller team and they're one of the few squads in the NBA that can compete with the Kings' pace in transition. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are both total mismatches with their size and physicality, so look for them both to have a solid game here. It's still uncertain whether Williamson will be 100% healthy and suiting up, but his presence in the paint gives the Pelicans a stern edge over Domantas Sabonis inside. Ingram typically has a good game against the Kings and his height will allow him to shoot over the shorter wings trying to guard him.
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread
The Kings have been a great home team this year at 13-6 and they'll be looking to go 3-1 with another win during this current home-stand. They're finally at a point where their squad is fully healthy and it's shown in their production on the defensive floor. Keegan Murray is emerging as a cornerstone 3-and-D player for them and they're arguably one of the deepest teams in the league with Malik Monk, Kevin Huerter, and Davion Mitchell all coming off of the bench. De'Aaron Fox continues to be one of the league's highest scorers and Domantas Sabonis is having another wildly efficient year for a player at his position. However, for some strange reason, they haven't found an answer for this Pelicans team and have gone 0-3 against them with a -51 point differential.
The Kings will have ample opportunities to score the ball as these meetings with the Pelicans have typically been high-scoring. The glaring difference has been the Kings getting out-rebounding by sizable margins in each one of the contests. They'll need to be much more physical in the paint in trying to stop this Pelicans team. Obviously, Williamson's absence would be a huge help to their chances on the glass, but they'll still have to have a team rebounding mentality to find success.
Final Pelicans-Kings Prediction & Pick
These two teams are very familiar with each other at this point and the New Orleans Pelicans own the clear advantage over the Kings with their size and physicality. Zion Williamson will be the X-factor in this game and if he's able to suit up, our prediction will side with the Pelicans. However, don't sleep on the Kings' ability to make adjustments and key their defense in on Brandon Ingram if Williamson isn't able to go. Still, let's also side with the over as both teams like to get running in transition.
Final Pelicans-Kings Prediction & Pick: Sacramento Kings ML (-158)
