The final game on the NBA betting board this Tuesday is a West Coast clash between the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers. With LeBron James leading the way, L.A. is coming off back-to-back wins and will try to keep that momentum going against Sacramento.
The Lakers are 6.5-point home favorites for this contest with the Over/Under at 229. Here are our best free Kings vs. Lakers NBA picks and predictions for January 4, with tipoff at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Kings vs Lakers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The Lakers opened as 6.5-point home favorites, with the Over/Under at 229.5. As of noon ET, the line has stayed steady while the total has ticked up to 230.
When these teams previously met up on November 30, the Kings were 1-point home favorites against the Lakers who were missing LeBron James. The Kings lost that contest by a score of 117-92 although oddly enough they beat the Lakers with James in the lineup just three days earlier as 7.5-point road underdogs.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Kings vs Lakers predictions
Predictions made on 01/04/2022 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Kings vs Lakers game info
• Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
• Date: Tuesday, January 4, 2022
• Tip-off: 10:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBA TV
Kings vs Lakers betting preview
Injuries
Kings: Terence Davis II (Questionable).
Lakers: LeBron James SF (Probable), Avery Bradley G (Probable), Anthony Davis PF (Out), Kendrick Nunn G (Out), Trevor Ariza SF (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Lakers are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 home games versus a team with a losing road record. Find more NBA betting trends for Kings vs. Lakers.
Kings vs Lakers picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
Sacramento is fresh off a 115-113 win against the Heat and is 3-1 SU and ATS in its last four games. The Kings have been awful defensively, ranking 26th in the league in defensive rating, but have been a touch better on offense where they rank 18th.
The Lakers are also 3-1 SU and ATS in their last four games but it's tough to be impressed by Sunday's 108-103 home victory against a Timberwolves team that was missing Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell. For a team that entered the season as an NBA Championship favorite, sitting at .500 in January is not a good look.
King James continues to ball out despite being 37 years old, but the Lakers rank just 24th in the league in offensive efficiency, due in large part to committing the third-most turnovers per game in the league. They've also struggled on the defensive end of the floor, especially without All-NBA big man Anthony Davis.
The Lakers will be without the four-time All-Defensive team member for at least a few more weeks after Davis suffered an MCL sprain on December 17. Prior to that injury, the Lakers ranked 10th in the league in defensive rating, but in nine games since, they have fallen to 21st in that category.
Sacramento has some effective perimeter players with De'Aaron Fox leading the team with 20.3 points per game, and Tyrese Haliburton dropping 6.9 assists per game, while Harrison Barnes and Buddy Hield combine for 32.3 ppg. Sacramento's biggest weakness is down low, but with Davis sidelined the Lakers aren't built to exploit that vulnerability. Take the Kings with the points.
Prediction: Kings +6.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
We don't want to say that the Russell Westbrook experiment has been a complete disaster for the Lakers, but it has completely changed the dynamic of this team. After adding the stat-stuffing point guard in the offseason the Lakers are playing at the second-fastest pace in the league.
That speedy tempo allows them to rank ninth in the league in scoring with 111 ppg, but also means that they sit near the bottom of the league with 111.9 ppg allowed.
The Kings are even worse defensively, ranking 28th in the league with 113.7 ppg allowed and that number ballooning to 117.1 ppg in away contests. However, they also play at a fast tempo and rank fourth in the league with 112.3 ppg on the road.
With the Over going 7-3-1 in the Lakers' last 11 games as a home favorite, and the Kings going 5-2 O/U in their previous seven contests on the road, expect a higher-scoring matchup at Crypto.com Arena.
Prediction: Over 230 (-110)
Best bet
It's becoming apparent to most of the world that the Lakers simply aren't that great. But the public and oddsmakers seem to be putting too much value on them. Even last season, when the Lakers actually were a championship-caliber team, they went just 13-20 ATS as a home favorite
The Lakers have taken a step back on both ends of the floor this season and have gone a league-worst 8-18 ATS in 20 games as favorites. That makes them tough to trust as chalk, especially when you consider that they're 0-4 ATS in their last four home games against the Kings and lost three of those contests outright despite laying points.
With the Lakers missing Davis and continuing to show chemistry issues with Westbrook, we're even more convinced to take the visitors with the points.
Pick: Kings +6.5 (-110)
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