LA Lakers vs Sacramento Kings Prediction and Betting Tips | Dec. 19, 2024
The LA Lakers play a team that's had their number in eight of their last 10 games. The Purple and Gold take on the Sacramento Kings in a back-to-back over the next three days. Both desperate-to-win sides meet at the Golden 1 Center on Thursday night, and as is the case with LA, the contest comes with plenty of storylines.
Individual matchups take the spotlight when the two division rivals clash. Round 1 of the Anthony Davis vs Domantas Sabonis bout this season swung the former's way. The Lakers center overpowered the big on both ends of the floor with 39 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. Sabonis ended with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, but his triple-double went in vain as LA hung on to a close 131-127 win at the Crypto.com Arena.
Next up, it's experience vs youth with LeBron James taking on the two-pronged offensive threats of De'Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan. The Kings' pair of Aces spearhead the offense, and much depends on the rejuvenated James to be able to outplay Sacramento's best. Throw in the trade buzz and reports of the front office looking at key names to bolster their chances of staying as playoff contenders.
The Kings and Lakers have had contrasting runs since. Sacramento is yet to break into the top 10, while their opponents with an odd win here and a scrappy victory there are holding to the ninth place in a stacked West. The Kings are one win lesser than LA, and have two losses more instead.
Sacramento will take heart from their 8-2 record in their last 10 matchups against the Lakers. Their loss against LA can be chalked up to a lack of synergy with DeRozan as part of their frontcourt, and Fox working his way to full rhythm. They come off a heartbreaking 130-129 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers will once again bank on their star duo of James and Davis to bail them out of their one-win, two-losses campaign so far. December's slate has been unforgiving and only gets tougher as they face the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, followed by another Kings skirmish. Throw in the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Lakers will need a Christmas miracle to make sure their record doesn't drop below .500.
LA Lakers vs Sacramento Kings Preview, predicted starting lineups, betting tips, odds, and prediction
The LA Lakers vs Sacramento Kings contest tips off at 10 pm ET. Local coverage will NBCS-CA and SportsNet LA. The game can be streamed live on Fubo TV (regional restrictions may apply) and on the NBA app with a subscription to the NBA League Pass.
Here are the odds as listed at the time of writing:
Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off.
LA Lakers vs Sacramento Kings Preview
Two teams with an average defense face off on Thursday but the Kings are still favorites, courtesy of their seventh-best offense in the NBA this season. The Kings are top-heavy and pack that offensive punch of the bench as well. Fox leads their offense and assists averaging 26.2 points and 6.1 assists per contest. Their artillery boasts of certified buckets in DeRozan (22.5 points and 4.0 rebounds). Saobonis continues to be a dominant two-way presence with 21.5 points and 9.7 boards.
Sacramento is seventh in scoring offense averaging 116.7 PPG. They score 113.7 points per 100 possessions. The team is eighth in FG% (48.3) and is 21st in their three-point offense drilling 34.4% of their 3s. Their defense, like LA, has been their bane allowing their opponents to score 110.6 points per 100 possessions on scoring defense (16th in the league). They concede an average of 46.1% from the field (ninth in the league) and a league-bottom alarming 37.7% from the deep (29th).
The LA Lakers' offense has sputtered and while the front office looks to address the need for another solid scoring option, they will bank on the likes of an erratic D'Angelo Russell and Dalton Knecht for some juice off the bench. Davis leads the pack with 27.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. James' different point-forward role sees him average 22.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and a team-high 9.1 assists. Austin Reaves (16.9 points and 5.0 dimes) is their third scoring option.
LA is 18th in scoring offense with 111.3 PPG and 110.2 points per 100 possessions. They are shooting a tenth-best 47.1% from the field and are 20th in 3-point offense (34.7%). They are still paltry defensively, allowing 112.9 points per every 100 possessions. They concede 47.7% from the field (23rd) and 36.8% from beyond the arc (19th).
LA Lakers vs Sacramento Kings Predicted Starting Lineups
The LA Lakers have familiar names on their injury list. Anthony Davis (left plantar fasciitis) is probable and LeBron James (left foot soreness) is questionable. Jaxson Hayes (right ankle sprain), Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood (surgery recovery), and Jalen Hood-Schifino (left hamstring strain) are ruled out.
With a two-day break after their last game against the Grizzlies, there's just the possibility of James suiting up. If he does, the Lakers will likely field the same starters they did in their previous game.
Sacramento has a few key names as day-to-day. Domantas Sabonis (back contusion), Keegan Murray (left ankle soreness), and Kevin Huerter (AC sprain) are all listed as questionable. Mike Brown will probably stick to the same starters from their clash against the Nuggets.
LA Lakers vs Sacramento Kings Betting Tips
LeBron James comes into the matchup with an o/u of -105/-106 on points. Austin Reaves is -104/-125 on points. Anthony Davis is -113/-109 on points + rebounds. De'Aaron Fox is one of the names to keep an eye out for with an o/u of -102/-110 on points. DeMar DeRozan is -115/-105 on points, and Domantas Sabonis is -115/-115 on points + rebounds.
LA Lakers vs Sacramento Kings Prediction
The LA Lakers will have to bring their A-game on Thursday to beat the Kings in their backyard. Sacramento have relied on their offense to win games, and they have made use of LA's slow starts and erratic defense down the stretch to close out games. The visitors' defense is their Achilles Heel, making this a winnable contest for Sacramento. Take the Kings to win in Round 2.