The Los Angeles Lakers will return to their home arena, the Staples Center, to host the Sacramento Kings after a four-game road trip.
The Lakers currently sit 5th in the Western Conference with a 36-26 record. That said, they have the second-best NBA odds to win the NBA Championship with +350 odds.
Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings are trending in the wrong direction. They are 12th in the conference with a 25-37 second and have lost 12 of their last 15 games. It's time to continue are NBA odds series with a pick for this matchup.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Kings-Lakers odds.
NBA Odds: Kings-Lakers Odds
Sacramento Kings +8 (-108)
LA Lakers -8 (-112)
Over 222 Points (-110)
Under 222 Points (-110)
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread
The Sacramento Kings are not only struggling to win straight up in their last 15 games, but they are equally as poor against the spread during that same span at 5-10.
If the Kings are to improve their ATS record against the Lakers, it will come down to the basics – defense. The Kings have the worst defensive metric in the league and gave up 154 points in their last game to the Utah Jazz, who were without their star player, Donovan Mitchell.
In the previous matchup against the Lakers, the Kings allowed five players to score double-digit and suffered a 115 to 94 defeat.
The Kings will be without De’Aaron Fox for the fourth straight game. Fox is still out due to health and safety protocols. His absence is certainly reflected with how the NBA odds shake out in this game. A positive for Luke Walton's side has been Buddy Hield's ability to knock down shots from the perimeter. In five of the Kings' last six games, Hield has made at least three shots from behind the arc. In April as a whole, Hield has been shooting 42.7% from three.
If Buddy Hield can continue to shoot at a high clip and the Kings can get solid production from their other role players, they will have a chance to cover the spread.
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
The LA Lakers have had their own struggles lately, losing four of their last five games. However, after a loss, the Lakers then cover the spread in their next game 54.2% of the time.
Anthony Davis has now been back in the lineup for four games since missing 30 contests due to a lower leg injury. His production has yet to return fully, but he has looked stronger as the games go on.
Davis has now played at least 30 minutes in his last two appearances and recorded 26 points on 50% shooting in his latest game against the Wizards. His return is certainly a big reason the NBA odds favor the Lakers by eight in this one.
On top of Anthony Davis, the rest of the role players will likely be in for a big night. In the previous battle between these two, Kyle Kuzma scored 30 points, and Talen Horton-Tucker racked up 15 off the bench.
Anthony Davis said the key for LAL to close the season is simple:
“Getting back healthy and getting back to the defensive team that we’ve been all year.”
He’s less concerned about offense. Thinks that will come naturally as they get back to what they know they are.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 29, 2021
With a four-time All-Defensive player like Davis and a defensive-minded coach like Frank Vogel, the Lakers should not have any issues against the Kings' offense.
The key for the Lakers to cover the spread is for them to continue to be productive defensively and not become complacent against the struggling Kings.
Final Kings-Lakers Prediction & Pick
With the Sacramento Kings being without their best player, De'Aaron Fox, and being so subpar on the defense side of the ball, Anthony Davis' skillset should be enough alone for the Laker to pull out a good sized victory.
For those reasons, the Lakers should cover the spread and remain a comfortable fifth seed in the west.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION & PICK FOR KINGS-LAKERS: SAC 102, LAL 114 (LAL -8)
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