The Sacramento Kings have been playing better basketball of late. They had two big victories over the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. We will see how much they improved when they face the Phoenix Suns Wednesday night at the Golden 1 Center. Here is a betting preview.
Did the Sacramento Kings just catch the Denver Nuggets on an off night recently? Did they get some really fortunate bounces against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a stunning home win two nights ago?
We will get a better indication of how much the Kings have improved on Wednesday at 10 p.m. (ET), when Sacramento (5-13) hosts the Phoenix Suns (11-7) in an NBA Cup group play matchup at Golden 1 Center.
The Kings (+4.5, +115), home underdogs for the second straight game, are +155 on the Money line, while the Suns (-4.5, -105) are listed as (-180) to fly away with a fourth consecutive road victory.
The over/under total is listed at around 234 points.
Sacramento, 2-8 overall and 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games, even with wins over Denver and Minnesota the previous two times out on the basketball court, are a respectable 7-10-1 to the number for the entire season despite an offense that averages near the bottom of the league with 112.3 per game -- even with seven players, led by Zach LaVine (21.4 points) - averaging double-figures.
The Suns, 8-2 overall in their 10 games, despite coming off a home loss to the Houston Rockets, have owned the Kings historically with a 148-107 all-time head-to-head advantage. However, Sacramento is a solid 3-2 in the last five games between both teams, even with a loss to Phoenix earlier this season.
Kings star forward Domantas Sabonis (partially torn, left knee meniscus) is out, while Phoenix will likely suit up without G Grayson Allen (quad), G Jalen Green (hamstring) and F Ryan Dunn (wrist).
Forward Keegan Murray, one of seven Sacramento players currently averaging a double-digit points total per game at 18.7, is coming off a solid game of 26 points and 14 rebounds vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Kings, playing their third game in five nights in this spot, hung for most of opening night with the Suns, before losing 120-116 in a game that was a push at (-4) and saw the over of 228 get to the cash window.
But that seems like years ago for a Kings squad that is just 3-5 at home and that before Monday night had not won a game at Golden 1 Center since late-October. Sacramento is 1-4 in their last five at home.
The Kings, although it took an extra five minutes to score 133 vs. the Timberwolves, have been scoring at a surprising clip recently when you consider Sacramento, which had scored 110 points or fewer in six straight games before their current two-game winning streak, rank near the bottom of the league with 112.3 points per game.
Putting their current run of success aside, the Kings, apparently ready and willing to trade anybody on their current roster not named Murray, lost every game of a recent 0-8 stretch by double digits.
And the Suns, 8-2 overall and against the spread in their last 10 games, are solid vs. the number.
Additionally, seven of the Suns' last 10 games have not reached 234 points - with the under cashing in their last three games. On the flip side, the offensively-challenged Kings have gone over the total just once in their last six games.
(Please check your sports book of choice for all updated NBA odds and betting information. And as always, please bet responsibly and within your set budget. If you feel you need help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.)