The Sacramento Kings will battle the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. Things are about to get frosty at the Frost Bank Center as we share our NBA odds series and make a Kings-Spurs prediction and pick.
The Spurs lead the head-to-head series 128-68. Somehow, they have already played twice this season. It’s been a good time for the Spurs, who have won both games, including 116-96 at the Frost Bank Center on November 11, 2024. Despite those games, the Kings have done better against the Spurs, as they are 7-3 over 10 games, including 4-1 in the past five at the Frost Bank Center.
Here are the Kings-Spurs NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Kings-Spurs Odds
Sacramento Kings: -4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -198
San Antonio Spurs: +4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +166
Over: 227.5 (-110)
Under: 227.5 (-110)
How To Watch Kings vs. Spurs
Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
TV: NBC Sacramento and FDSS
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Kings Could Cover the Spread/Win
Things have been shaky in the Kings’ locker room, and De’Aaron Fox supported Mike Brown when he called out the entire locker room for their bad performances in recent NBA Cup games. Consequently, the Kings have struggled often this season and look nothing like the playoff contender they were for the majority of last season.
Fox is doing his part, scoring over 20 points in four consecutive games coming into the tilt. Yet, it has not translated across the board. Specifically, defense has been an issue for the Kings, as well as winning the board battle. Domantas Sabonis is a towering center who is averaging 21 points and 12.6 rebounds per game while shooting 62.4 percent from the floor, including 41.2 percent from the triples. While that is a good stat line, his rebounds are down from 13.7 a year ago. Yes, he is still blocking shots, but he needs help.
DeMar DeRozan has been a solid addition to the team. He averages 22.5 points per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the floor. Ultimately, he has not been an issue on defense, averaging 1.5 steals per game. But DeRozan is not consistent. Overall, Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis are the only consistent defenders. The problem with the majority of the defense is they give up switches too easily on defense, which allows the opposing offense to have too many gaps in the coverage to expose.
The Kings will cover the spread if Fox, Sabonis, and DeRozan can convert on their shooting chances. Then, they must avoid committing mental lapses on defense and stay closed in on the ball.
Why the Spurs Could Cover the Spread/Win
Life has been better in San Antonio, but there might be some turmoil ahead. The Spurs might miss their best player for this game after Victor Wembanyama missed Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bulls with a back injury. If Wembanyama cannot play in this game, it could change San Antonio’s dynamic and also affect the line for this game.
There is no doubt about how important Wembanyama is to the Spurs. Amazingly, he is averaging 23.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the floor. His numbers against the Kings have been similar, as Wembanyama is averaging 28.5 points and 12.5 rebounds while distributing 5.3 assists over the four games he has played against the Kings. His prescience in the paint is important as he can stand against Sabonis and also use his long frame to get good shots up.
If Wembanyama cannot play, the Spurs will need Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson, and Julian Champagne. While none of these players are explosive on offense, they have all been consistent on the defensive end, which has helped them improve. Their ability to contain Fox and Sabonis will be critical, and the Spurs must design a game plan to cool down a red-hot offense.
The Spurs will cover the spread if their offense can set up simple shots and create a lead early. Then, they must stifle Fox and Sabonis, and the rest of the Kings from getting hot.
Final Kings-Spurs Prediction & Pick
Both the Kings and Spurs played on Thursday night. The Kings came into the night with an 8-13-1 mark against the spread, while the Spurs were 11-10. Moreover, the Kings were 5-5 against the spread on the road, while the Spurs were 8-4 against the odds at home. The Kings came into the day 5-10-1 against the spread when facing the Western Conference, while the Spurs were 11-9. Lastly, the Kings are 1-4 against the spread when having no rest, while the Spurs are 2-2 against the odds when playing the second end of a back-to-back.
All these factors, plus the fact that the Spurs are actively playing better than the Kings right now leads me in that direction as I feel that the Spurs will do enough to cover the spread at home.
Final Kings-Spurs Prediction & Pick: San Antonio Spurs: +4.5 (-110)
The post Kings vs. Spurs prediction, odds, pick – 12/6/2024 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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