Sacramento Kings lose star scorers Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis. They are facing the Portland Trail Blazers with mounting injuries.
The fat, bearded man in the red, white and black suit probably can't get here fast enough, if you're still betting on the Sacramento Kings to turn things around this season.
The Kings (6-20), on a three-game losing streak and 1-7 in their last eight games, are (+9,-110) road underdogs vs. the Trail Blazers (10-16), Thursday night at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
Sacramento is (+286) on the moneyline, while the Trail Blazers (-9, -112) are listed at -361.
The over/under is 237.5 points for the 10:00 p.m. (ET) tip-off, in the first of two meetings between both teams in the next three days. The Kings host the Trail Blazers on Saturday night in Sacramento.
But its been a real struggle for the Kings in recent weeks - no matter who they've played.
Sacramento, 3-12 on the road this season, has suffered losses of 14, 31 and 11 points to the Timberwolves, Nuggets and Pacers, respectively, during their current losing streak - despite scoring over 100 points in all three games.
Unfortunately, scoring points in the coming days might be a problem for the Kings, who will be without leading scorer Zach LaVine for at least a week after the star sharpshooter suffered a moderate left ankle sprain in Sacramento's 117-103 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night.
LaVine's absence leaves the lowly Kings without two key starters in the lineup.
Center Domantas Sabonis, who has been sidelined since mid-November after suffering a partial tear in his left knee in November, is expected to be reevaluated in the coming days.
Sabonis, a star big man who helps the Kings space the floor, was averaging 17.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game when he went down.
Sacramento, 3-7 in their last 10 games and 28th in the league at 110.6 points per game on offense on the season, make just 10.8 threes per game, which ranks last in the NBA.
The Kings are 8-18 against the spread this season.
Portland, 4-6 at home and 3-7 in their 10 games, snapped a three-game losing vs. Golden State on Sunday.
The Trail Blazers, 14-12 against the spread on the season, are led by Deni Avdija (25.5 points per game) and Donovan Clingan (9.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1,7 assists per game).
Clingan is shooting 48% percent from the floor.
Guard Dennis Schroder (right ankle sprain) is listed as questionable, which likely means that G Russell Westbrook (13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists) and Forward DeMar DeRozan, the Kings second leading-scorer at 17.7 points per game, will have to step up, especially on the offensive side of the court.
Portland guard Jrue Holliday (calf) is out for tonight.
All bets should be off right now on the Kings, who have hit a tough stretch since winning as short road 'dogs in Miami, and now see their depth, already thin, take a massive hit without LaVine, out for a week, at least.
It's also disheartening that the Kings, who haven't been at full strength all season and alone in the bottom of the Western Conference, have apparently passed on the 2025-26 season and will likely start selling off their most desired players - LaVine, Sabonis, Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan anyone? - as we get closer to the NBA deadline.
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