The Los Angeles Lakers have begun to turn their season around with four wins in five games, and now they’ll look to make it a perfect 4-0 against the Sacramento Kings this season and continue their ascent.
While neither team has looked the part of a juggernaut this year, our Kings vs. Lakers predictions will focus on the Lakers’ drastic improvement defensively as they catch Sacramento on a downward trend in the scoring department.
Let’s dig into some NBA player props and hand out some NBA picks on Saturday, December 28.
Kings vs Lakers prediction
My best bet
Lakers moneyline (-105 at bet365)
My analysis
Sure, I’ll be the square here and take the overwhelming public side here in the Los Angeles Lakers. While there wasn’t a ton I loved about this matchup going into the back-to-back these two teams embarked on 10 days ago, the Lakers have made improvement on the defensive end this month and should be respected here against a Sacramento Kings team which has really struggled.
Sacramento may have started off this month scoring at will, but its offense has taken a step back and will head up against an L.A. defense which has risen to 12th in efficiency this month. Most importantly, the Lakers rank 11th against mid-range jumpers which is something that’s bound to make life difficult on a team which relies on that area on the floor to power the offense.
The Lakers have continued to struggle against shots at the rim, but Sacramento is sitting second-to-last in volume down at the cup. That should all but erase any possibilities for this Kings offense given their opponents have looked excellent around the perimeter.
It’s not as if the Lakers have been world-beaters on offense, but their defense should do more than enough here to keep them in it. On top of that, Sacramento’s continued to play mediocre defense and has had its own struggles in the mid-range with the sixth-worst defense this month.
That’s going to pay dividends for L.A., considering it’s moved further and further away from the 3 this month and has ranked third in shot frequency on jumpers inside the arc. I suspect the script will remain the same here as the Lakers put forth another solid showing on defense and win this game with an edge in the mid-range and on the glass to boot.
Kings vs Lakers same-game parlay
Lakers moneyline
Anthony Davis Over 13.5 rebounds
De’Aaron Fox Over 30.5 points and assists
Let’s talk about that edge on the glass, which has delivered Anthony Davis a pair of massive games against the Kings this month. He totaled 24 rebounds in the two previous meetings between these sides, and will go to work against a team ranked 25th on the glass this month and just 21st in defensive rebounding rate.
Davis hasn’t been a weapon on the offensive glass, but he’s been the lead man on the team and should be able to pad his total on that side of the floor given he’s totaled 12 offensive rebounds in three games against the Kings this season.
I’m also a big fan of this line on De’Aaron Fox’s points and assists, which is a number he’s hit in all three contests. The Lakers have allowed the sixth-most assists per 100 possessions to their opponents this year, and that should help boost Fox’s overall line here after averaging nearly 30 points per game against L.A. this season and 35 points and assists.
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Kings vs Lakers odds
Kings vs Lakers live odds
Kings vs Lakers opening odds
- Spread: Los Angeles -2
- Moneyline: Los Angeles -130
- Over/Under: Over 221.5 | Under 221.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
Kings vs Lakers spread and Over/Under analysis
- We saw a steady move towards the Kings, dropping the Lakers to just one-point favorites, before Sacramento became the new favorite here on Saturday afternoon.
- While 67% of the spread bets are on the Lakers, 77% of the money is on Sacramento to cover.
- The total rose as high as 224.5 on Saturday morning before trickling down three points. It’s since jumped up from 221.5 to 223 in the afternoon.
- The Over has accounted for 78% of the tickets and 75% of the handle.
Kings vs Lakers trend
The Los Angeles Lakers have hit the 2Q moneyline in 25 of their last 37 games (+13.03 Units / 28% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Kings vs. Lakers.
How to watch Kings vs Lakers
| Location: | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California |
| Date: | Saturday, 12-28-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBCSCA, SPECSN, TSN |
Kings vs Lakers latest injuries
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