The Sacramento Kings have been losing when they should win, winning when they shouldn’t. In the NBA odds for Sunday, they’re a good bet to get back on track.
UPDATED as of 1:45 p.m. Eastern. Changes will be noted in bold italics.
If there is one thing the NBA odds have shown this season, it’s that it can be very hard to trust the Sacramento Kings.
After winning back-to-back road games in Texas — topping the Mavericks and Rockets — and squeezing out a one-point win back at home over the Thunder, a game at Golden 1 Center against the lowly Knicks shouldn’t be a problem, right? Yeah. Not so much.
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But with a six-game slate on tap for Sunday in the NBA, we’re right back here touting the Kings in their first visit of the year to their regional rivals just down I-80 a stretch, the Golden State Warriors.
The Kings come in as three-point road favorites, according to information courtesy of The Action Network. And despite getting burned against the Knicks, there are several good reasons to like Sacramento in this matchup — their first at the new Chase Center in San Francisco.
The Kings are 15-5 against the spread in their last 20 games. Sacramento is also 6-1 ATS in its last seven road games, 8-1 ATS in their last nine games following a loss, 9-4 ATS when playing with one day’s rest and — remember this extends to when the Warriors were good (about 10 minutes ago, so it seems) — 5-0 ATS in their last five games at Golden State.
In their last 10 meetings, the Warriors are 8-2 straight up against the Kings. But Sacramento is 7-3 ATS in those games. So it’s not crazy to think the Kings can bounce back with a win and a cover of the 3½ points they are laying in this one.
Sacramento Kings (minus 3½) at Golden State Warriors
Line had been Sacramento Kings (minus 3)
TV: NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Bay Area
Tickets: Chase Center, 8:30 p.m. Eastern (5:30 p.m. local)
Records: Sacramento 11-14 (15-10 ATS, 10-4 road ATS), Golden State 5-22 (12-14-1 ATS, 4-6-1 home ATS)
Availability report (1:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday)
Sacramento: OUT–Kyle Guy (two-way, G League), DaQuan Jeffries (two-way, G League); DOUBTFUL–De’Aaron Fox (left ankle sprain).
Golden State: OUT–Ky Bowman (two-way, G League), Stephen Curry (left hand fracture), Alen Smailagic (G League), Klay Thompson (left ACL rehabilitation); QUESTIONABLE–Eric Paschall (left hip soreness).
Taking a look at rest of Sunday’s NBA odds:
Orlando Magic (minus 1) at New Orleans Pelicans
Line flipped from New Orleans Pelicans (minus 2½) based on updated Orlando injury report
TV: Fox Sports Florida, Fox Sports New Orleans
Tickets: Smoothie King Center, 3:30 p.m. Eastern (2:30 p.m. local)
Records: Orlando 11-14 (10-14-1 ATS, 6-5 road ATS), New Orleans 6-20 (9-15-1 ATS, 6-7 home ATS)
Availability report (1:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday)
Orlando: OUT–Al-Farouq Aminu (right knee, meniscus tear), B.J. Johnson (two-way, G League), Josh Magette (two-way, G League); AVAILABLE–Nikola Vucevic (right ankle sprain, had been listed as QUESTIONABLE).
New Orleans: OUT–Zylan Cheatham (two-way, G League), Josh Gray (two-way, G League), Darius Miller (right Achilles surgery), Zion Williamson (right knee scope).
Notable: The Orlando Magic have lost three straight games SU, but All-Star big man Nikola Vucevic is available Sunday after missing 11 games with a sprained ankle. The New Orleans Pelicans, meanwhile, have lost 11 games in a row … and there’s no help on the way yet.
This will be the first of two meetings between the Magic and Pelicans, with Orlando 7-3 SU and 6-3-1 ATS in the last 10 matchups.
The Magic are 4-2 ATS in their last six games, even with the losing skid, and 5-1 ATS in their last six road games. New Orleans is a mess; just 1-7 ATS in their last eight games and 1-4 ATS in their last five games at home. This is a game where Orlando might have a chance to get well after their No. 2-ranked defense was torched for 130 points by the Rockets on Friday.
Charlotte Hornets at Indiana Pacers (minus 11½)
TV: Fox Sports Southeast-Charlotte, Fox Sports Indiana
Tickets: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 5 p.m. Eastern
Records: Charlotte 12-16 (14-13-1 ATS, 7-6-1 road ATS), Indiana 17-9 (13-11-2 ATS, 6-5-2 home ATS)
Availability report (1:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday)
Charlotte: OUT–Robert Franks (two-way, G League), Caleb Martin (G League), Jalen McDaniels (G League), Kobi Simmons (two-way, G League), PJ Washington (right fifth finger fracture), Marvin Williams (right knee soreness); QUESTIONABLE–Nicolas Batum (left hand discomfort).
Indiana: OUT–Naz Mitrou-Long (two-way, G League), Victor Oladipo (right knee rehab); QUESTIONABLE–JaKarr Sampson (sore lower back).
Notable: Both of these teams have been playing fairly well of late, with the Charlotte Hornets 6-4 SU in their last 10 games and the Indiana Pacers winning seven of their last 10 SU. Charlotte is also 4-2 ATS in their last six games, but the Pacers have only covered twice in their last four games at home.
The first time these teams played on Nov. 5, the Hornets came away with a straight-up victory as a 2½-point home underdog, beating Indiana 122-120. The teams have split their last 10 meetings 5-5 and are also 5-5 ATS in that span. The Pacers are 10-3 SU in theri last 13 games, winning five of their last six at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Los Angeles Lakers (minus 11½) at Atlanta Hawks
Line had been Los Angeles Lakers (minus 11)
TV: Spectrum Sports Net, Fox Sports Southeast-Atlanta
Tickets: State Farm Arena, 6 p.m. Eastern
Records: Los Angeles 23-3 (16-9 ATS, 8-5 road ATS), Atlanta 6-20 (11-15 ATS, 6-6 home ATS)
Availability report (1:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday)
Los Angeles: OUT–Devontae Cacok (two-way, G League), DeMarcus Cousins (right knee rehabilitation), Talen Horton-Tucker (G League), Kyle Kuzma (left ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE–LeBron James (right elbow soreness); PROBABLE–Avery Bradley (right leg, hairline fracture), Anthony Davis (right shoulder soreness), Rajon Rondo (left hamstring strain).
Atlanta: OUT–Charlie Brown (two-way, G League), John Collins (league suspension), Brandon Goodwin (two-way, G League).
Notable: This one has a gigantic question mark over it, given LeBron James’ status as questionable. This line is likely to shift a bit if James is ruled out for Sunday, but only a bit because the Los Angeles Lakers still have plenty of weapons. They are 5-1 ATS over their last six games and are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games on the road.
The Atlanta Hawks, conversely, have covered just once in their last five games and are 1-3 ATS in their last four games at home. The Hawks were clobbered at 14½-point underdogs at L.A. on Nov. 17, as the Lakers covered easily 122-101. Los Angeles has covered five of its last seven meetings with the Hawks and have won 10 straight games SU on the road.
Philadelphia 76ers (minus 3½) at Brooklyn Nets
Line had been Philadelphia 76ers (minus 4½)
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia, YES Network
Tickets: Barclays Center, 6 p.m. Eastern
Records: Philadelphia 20-7 (13-13-1 ATS, 6-7 road ATS), Brooklyn 13-12 (13-12 ATS, 7-5 home ATS)
Availability report (1:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday)
Philadelphia: OUT–Jonah Bolden (G League), Shake Milton (G League, had been listed as AVAILABLE), Marial Shayok (two-way, G League), Zhaire Smith (G League); DOUBTFUL–Joel Embiid (upper respiratory illness, had been listed as AVAILABLE); QUESTIONABLE–Al Horford (left knee soreness, left hamstring tightness).
Brooklyn: OUT–Nicolas Claxton (left hamstring soreness), Kevin Durant (right Achilles rehab), Kyrie Irving (right shoulder implngement), Caris LeVert (right thumb surgery).
Notable: For the first time this season, the Brooklyn Nets will have Wilson Chandler available as he served the last of his 25-game suspension on Saturday. The Philadelphia 76ers have won five in a row and nine of their last 10, while the Nets have lost two straight and are on a SEGABABA. Joel Embiid is also now listed as doubtful as he’s dealing with an upper respiratory illness.
The 76ers are just 4-6 ATS over those last 10 games, but are 5-1 ATS in their last six against Brooklyn. The Nets are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games and 5-1 ATS in their last six games at Barclays Center. This will be the first meeting between the teams since Philadelphia eliminated Brooklyn in the first round of the playoffs in April.
New York Knicks at Denver Nuggets (minus 11)
Line had been Denver Nuggets (minus 10½)
TV: MSG Network, Altitude Sports, NBA TV
Tickets: Pepsi Center, 8 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. local)
Records: New York 6-20 (13-13 ATS, 7-6 road ATS), Denver 16-8 (12-11-1 ATS, 7-6 home ATS)
Availability report (1:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday)
New York: OUT–Reggie Bullock (cervical disc herniation), Wayne Ellington (sore left Achilles), Ivan Rabb (two-way, G League), Allonzo Trier (concussion).
Denver: Not required to submit report, played Thunder on Saturday. In that game, the Nuggets did not have Bol Bol (two-way, G League) or Paul Millsap (right quadriceps strain).
Notable: The New York Knicks streak into this game, sort of. They have won their last two games, their first consecutive victories this season. While the Knicks are 2-8 SU over their last 10 games, they are 5-5 ATS in that span. The Denver Nuggets are 4-2 ATS in their last six games and have covered four of their last five at home.
New York is just 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games against the Nuggets and the Knicks were crushed by Denver at home on Dec. 5, losing a 129-92 decision as 8½-point home underdogs. The two straight wins by New York were on the road at Golden State and Sacramento, but Denver is a significant step up in weight class from those two opponents.