The NBA season is officially underway and the second-week slate carries on with an in-season tournament matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings. Our NBA odds series continues with a Thunder-Kings prediction and pick.

On Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder had their most impressive victory of the season. Led by a 43-point, seven rebound, and six assist masterclass from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder took down the Cleveland Cavaliers by eight points. Highlighted by Gilgeous-Alexander's incredible performance, it should be noted that it was a tremendous all-around effort by the team. The Thunder had four other players score 14 or more points and will look for them to continue this high level of play on the road in Sacramento.

Wednesday night's homestead game marked a much-needed win for the Sacramento Kings. They entered this matchup against the Trail Blazers on a three-game losing streak. Winning this game because of their sharp defensive play down the stretch, they went on to win by three points in overtime. All-Star Domantas Sabonis took charge throughout the game and dropped 27 points. 11 rebounds, and nine assists. This Jokic-like stat line has become the norm for him, and he will try to replicate it in another home game, this time against the Thunder.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Thunder-Kings Odds

Oklahoma City Thunder: -2.5 (-108)

Sacramento Kings: +2.5 (-112)

Over: 224.5 (-110)

Under: 224.5 (-110)

How to Watch Thunder vs. Kings

Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT

TV: Oklahoma City- Bally Sports  Sacramento- NBC Sports California

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread

Unfortunately for the Sacramento Kings, their biggest story this season has been De'Aaron Fox's injury issues. The leader of this team was averaging 31.3 points and 6.0 assists per game while leading the Kings to a 2-1 record before an ankle sprain sidelined him. In his absence, Davion Mitchell has performed well, but there is simply no replacing the production Fox has been able to provide in Sacramento. Adding to this, the Kings will also be without big man Trey Lyles in this one. With only one player currently listed on the injury report, look for the Thunder to take advantage of an undermanned Kings squad.

While the Thunder haven't been able to drill three-pointers in a massive quantity this season, they have unmatched efficiency. The Thunder rank second in the league in team three-point field goal percentage with an impressive 39.3% mark. Aiding in this effort are the four players (Wallace, Holmgren, Dort, and Mann) shooting 50.0% or better from deep. Oklahoma City makes defenders pay when left open, so if the Kings' defensive presence lacks throughout the night, the Thunder will be able to cover without a problem.

Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread

Even though the Kings stand below .500 at a 3-4 record, they make the hustle plays a lot of other teams in the league are unwilling to make. This all starts with their physicality on the offensive glass. Sacramento has reeled in the league's ninth most offensive rebounds per game. As expected, big man Domantas Sabonis has been leading this effort for the team. He is in the middle of a career year in this department, averaging a career-high 3.9 offensive rebounds per game, which is tied for the sixth most in the league. Matched up against a team with an inexperienced frontcourt could lead to many second-chance opportunities for the Kings in this one.

The Kings will face a highly skilled three-point shooting team in this one. However, Sacramento should be able to match the Thunder in this area, as Oklahoma City has one of the worst three-point defenses in the league. The Thunder allow teams to shoot 40.3% from 25-29 feet from the basket, the third-highest percentage in the league. Even though they allow only 7.5 made threes per game from this territory, opposing teams are making them pay. If the Kings can get off shots in this area from their sharpshooters like Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, and more, the Thunder will not be able to keep up.

Final Thunder-Kings Prediction & Pick

One of the more exciting matchups of the night, highlighted by two up-and-coming teams in the league, is sure to be a fun one. Sabonis will surely be motivated to win this game against the team that drafted him, only to trade him away a season later. However, I will go with the Oklahoma City Thunder against the spread in this one. Without Fox, the Kings seem lost on offense, which will be the difference in this one. With the healthier squad and more efficient offense, look for the Thunder to remain undefeated on the road this season. I'll lay the points with the Thunder in this one.

Final Thunder-Kings Prediction & Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder -2.5 (-108)