The Sacramento Kings will take their revised roster on the road. Are they the favorite down in New Orleans?
The Sacramento Kings can now take their new-look roster on the road after multiple home tilts after the NBA Trade Deadline.
But will some of the newly added members of the Kings earn extensive playing time against the New Orleans Pelicans?
Sacramento heads to the Bayou for the Monday evening showdown set for 8 p.m. ET. NBC Sports California once again will air the Kings contest as the flagship station for Sacramento basketball.
Fans also have the NBA League Pass option too -- with premium ($114.99) offered including no commercials and more in-arena access. Standard ($79.99) brings forth less in-arena access and more commercials, but will air the contest if fans commit to league pass.
One thing is certain involving Sacramento, though, at this point in the season: The Kings will be sub .500 by season's end...even if they pull off a miracle 28-game winning streak to close the season.
That's because at 42 losses, Sacramento is already guaranteed to finish with a losing campaign. They're the only team to reach that pinnacle this season. But this mark also further bolsters the Kings' chances to land the top overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.
It also looks like the Kings have a depleted lineup on their hands here.
Domantas Sabonis is dealing with a bad back. Zach LaVine has a finger injury. Malik Monk is battling an illness and Keegan Murray has a bum ankle. But that's not all of the battered members of the Kings.
Even De'Andre Hunter, the newcomer via trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers, is suddenly out of the lineup with what's now called eye iritis on his left side. And that setback will have him sitting out for the next 10 days, according to Kings insider for the Sacramento Bee Jason Anderson.
At least Sacramento can still roll with DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook on the veteran side. Or attempt to ride the sudden hot hand of rookie Nique Clifford, who dropped 30 points against the Cavs in hitting a new career-best scoring mark.
But the Kings have received harsh criticism for how they rotate their players under Doug Christie. And now Hunter's sudden injury puts a damper on the proposed new rotation.
New Orleans is the heavy favorite here at nine-points per FanDuel Sportsbook. The Pelicans are bound to surpass the spread and win by double digits.
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