Will the Kings avenge a previous 13-point loss to Chicago? Here's how the bets are set and where to watch.
The Sacramento Kings have yet another losing slide to snap.
Fresh off ending their franchise-record 16-game skid, Sacramento has since lost three straight before facing the Chicago Bulls.
And this was a Bulls team that watched former player Zach LaVine drop 30 on them during the Oct. 29 meeting. Except LaVine is out for the season and the Kings continue to operate as a thin bunch roster wise.
But there was a recent positive out of Precious Achiuwa who delivered his second 29-point game of the year against the New Orleans Pelicans. Sacramento will need that kind of effort to topple the favored Bulls.
Chicago heads inside the Golden 1 Center as the slight favorite by 2.5-points per FanDuel Sportsbook. NBC Sports California is airing the action, which is also offered through NBA League Pass.
Premium for NBA League Pass airs more in-arena coverage and goes commercial free. The standard (offered at $79.99 compared to the $114.99 for premium) offers commercials but no in-arena access).
Turns out the Bulls share one thing in common with the Kings...
They're facing earning a lottery pick come May 10.
Chicago stands at 26-37 overall and sits at 12th in the Eastern Conference standings. The Bulls are teetering towards landing one of the lottery selections which are 14 total.
And as we've seen in recent years, you don't have to finish with the league's worst record to land the top pick in the draft. Just ask the Dallas Mavericks, which finished 39-43 and still earned the No. 1 selection.
The Bulls can still catch fire and attempt to crash into the play-in tournament. They haven't officially been eliminated yet from postseason contention. Or they can just settle for the 12th and 13th spot in the conference and hope it lands inside the top 10 come June.
But it's far different for the Kings. Even if Sacramento manages to win the rest of its games through an 18-game winning streak, the Kings would still finish 18 games below the .500 mark.
Sacramento holds the highest probability to earn the top overall pick. A victory over the Bulls here can still keep the Kings' chances at landing No. 1 high. Or at least fall into the top five.
Count on Chicago to cover here.
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