The New Orleans Pelicans (4-7) stop by the Golden 1 Center Sunday for a 9 p.m. ET tip-off against the Sacramento Kings (5-8). Below, we analyze the Pelicans-Kings NBA betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Both of these teams are playing bad right now: New Orleans is in the midst of a five-game skid and Sacramento has dropped four of its past five games.
The Pelicans lost back-to-back games in the Staples Center. They lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 111-106 Wednesday but covered as 11.5-point underdogs despite missing PF Zion Williamson and PG Lonzo Ball. Then they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 112-95 Friday, failing to cover as 9-point underdogs.
Sacramento’s defense cannot stop anyone at the moment. Opponents are averaging 132.2 points per game in Sacramento’s past five games, which includes a 138-100 blowout by the Clippers Friday.
The Kings won the last season’s regular-season series 2-1 (2-1 against the spread), but those two wins came in the Orlando bubble and the Pelicans had one of the worst showings of any team in the restart, going 2-6.
Pelicans at Kings: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:20 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Pelicans -145 (bet $145 to win $100) | Kings +120 (bet $100 to win $120)
- Against the spread/ATS: Pelicans -2.5 (-115) | Kings +2.5 (-105)
- Over/Under: 226.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Pelicans at Kings: Key Injuries
Pelicans
- PG Lonzo Ball (knee) out
Kings
- PF Marvin Bagley III (wrist) questionable
- C Hassan Whiteside (hip) questionable
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Pelicans at Kings: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Kings 119, Pelicans 109
Money line (ML)
There’s no way the Pelicans should be favored or even equal-money on the road against anyone based on how they’ve played recently. We can pick apart the reasons why both teams are bad, but at the end of the day, this handicap boils down to the wrong team being favored.
GIMME KINGS (+120) for a half-unit.
Against the spread (ATS)
Maybe I am being a nit, but I’ll GRAB KINGS +2.5 (-105) for 1 unit for a little insurance. Both teams have found creative ways to lose so far this season and I’d rather be safe than sorry with Sacramento. Either way, the Kings are the right side, so I don’t hate a Sacramento bet straight-up or plus points.
Over/Under (O/U)
PASS ON THE TOTAL. The Over 226.5 (-110) is too obvious and I don’t like how New Orleans’ offense has looked in its two games since Ball has been sidelined with a knee injury (100.5 points per game). However, taking an Under in a Kings game is peaking NBA gambling as Sacramento is 9-4 O/U this season.
Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Also see:
- Ball to miss third straight game (Lonzo Wire)
- Kings’ Haliburton returned, put up more shots after loss (Rookie Wire)
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