The Sacramento Kings (11-14) travel to the Queen City for a 7 p.m. ET tip-off against the Charlotte Hornets (14-13) at the Spectrum Center. Below, we look at the Kings vs. Hornets odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions, and bets.
Sactown has won four of its past six games in the last two weeks including three straight (3-0 ATS) over the Los Angeles Clippers, twice, and the Orlando Magic.
The Kings are 4-2 ATS and 4-2 O/U in their last six games with the 20th-ranked non-garbage time efficiency differential, according to CleaningTheGlass.com.
The banged-up Hornets are just 2-5 overall but 5-2 ATS and 6-0-1 O/U in their last seven games. Charlotte has lost back-to-back games to the Philadelphia 76ers entering Friday. The Hornets are 15th in non-garbage time efficiency differential over the past two weeks (CtG).
Sactown snapped a five-game losing streak to Charlotte (0-5 ATS) with a 140-110 whooping in their first meeting of the season, Nov. 5. However, Kings big Richaun Holmes, who put up 23 points and 20 rebounds, has been ruled out for Friday’s Kings-Hornets game.
Also see: Bet Slippin’ Podcast: NBA December 10 breakdown
Kings at Hornets odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 2 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Kings -115 (bet $115 to win $100) | Hornets -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Kings -1.5 (-107) | Hornets +1.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 231.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Kings at Hornets key injuries
Kings
- C Richaun Holmes (eye) out
Hornets
- PG LaMelo Ball (health and safety protocols) out
- SG Terry Rozier (health and safety protocols) out
- PG Ish Smith (health and safety protocols) out
- C Mason Plumlee (calf) out
Kings at Hornets odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Kings 122, Hornets 112
Money line
BET the KINGS (-115) for 1 unit because they have a winning record as a road favorite since the beginning of last season (5-4 overall) and play very well against bad defenses.
For instance, Charlotte ranks dead-last in defensive rating, and Sactown is 7-2 overall with a plus-4.7 efficiency differential and a plus-3.5 ATS margin (ranked sixth) vs. teams in the bottom-10 of defensive efficiency (CtG).
Furthermore, we saw the Kings get whatever they wanted against a fully healthy Hornets team in their first meeting. And while Sactown is missing a starter, Charlotte is missing two or three starters.
Lastly, I believe the Hornets’ four-game cover streak is motivating the market to back Charlotte against a bad Kings team. This makes sense, but, Sactown has been winning games recently, and the Hornets have not.
Against the spread
PASS since Sactown’s money line is only 10 cents on the dollar more expensive than the Kings -1.5 (-105). Don’t be cheap, just lay it with Sactown -115 outright.
Over/Under
Slight “LEAN” to the OVER 231.5 (-110) because neither team plays defense, and both play at a top-5 pace.
On top of that, four of the last five Kings-Hornets meetings have gone Over the total, Sactown is 5-2 O/U in its past seven games, and Charlotte is 6-0-1 O/U in its last seven.
My concern with the Over is obvious: If either or both teams have just one off-shooting quarter then an Over bet is in serious jeopardy.
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