Can the Sacramento Kings upset the Denver Nuggets again? With key injuries and a history of surprises, this rematch offers betting intrigue. Russell Westbrook was the key to their last victory over the Nuggets, will he be the charm Thursday night as well?
It has been 19-days since the Sacramento Kings, 10.5-point road underdogs against the Denver Nuggets, put together one of their finest overall performances of the season to defeat the Nuggets, 128-123.
That late-November, Saturday night was when the Kings got 21 points from Russell Westbrook, in addition to overcoming 44 points from Denver star Nikola Jovic, to get their fourth win of the season.
But nearly three weeks ago is a long time, especially to oddsmakers who - once again- have the Kings (6-18) as big underdogs in their return date vs. Denver for the 10:00 p.m. (ET) tip-off at Golden 1 Center, Thursday night.
Sacramento, (+11) point underdogs on the spread, and 3-7 in their last 10 games overall, is (+350) to cash out on the money line, as per DraftKings Sports book.
The Kings, coming off a 116-105 defeat in Indiana to the Pacers, scored an impressive road victory in Miami, last Saturday. The win came on two full days of rest after the Kings lost to the Houston Rockets in the first game of a three-game, six day road trip. However, Zach LaVine, averaging a team-leading 20.8 points per game this season, is out with right thumb soreness vs. the Nuggets.
Guard Dennis Schroder (hip) is listed as doubtful. Kings big-man Domantas Sabonis- averaging 17.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game when he went down with a meniscus tear in his left knee- is still out.
Denver, a (-11)-point road favorite, is (-450). The over/under total sits at around 239.5 points.
If you need any more of a bettor’s perspective, the Nuggets, 11-2 on the road this season and 7-3 in their last 10 games overall, are just behind the Thunder to win the 2026 NBA Finals (+ 600), per DraftKings Sports book. The Nuggets, getting another monster season from Jovic (29.2 points, 12.3 rebounds per game), have won 23 of their last 36 road games.
This spot is tricky because the Kings, back in action and at Golden 1 Center after a three-city, six-day road trip that concluded in Indianapolis, failed to cover as (-5.5) underdogs vs. the Pacers, Monday night.
And that was, just 48 hours after scoring 127 points - 42 of those courtesy of LaVine - in a beatdown of the Heat, and covering a short number in Miami, where they caught a banged up Heat squad playing without Tyler Herro and on the consecutive nights.
But Sacramento, not bad when playing on two days of rest, is 3-6 at home, which includes an OT win over the Timberwolves — a couple nights after beating the Nuggets in Denver. So, it’s curious to see - when you also consider that the Celtics are also laying around -9 vs the Bucks Thursday night- that the Kings are getting nearly double digit ‘dogs at home, where they haven’t played in a while.