NBA picks: Suns vs. Kings prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report for Friday, Dec. 22

The Phoenix Suns (14-13) will battle with the Sacramento Kings (16-10) Friday evening as both teams look to rebound from embarrassing losses. The Suns blew a 22-point lead in their loss to the Trail Blazers Tuesday, while the Kings let the Celtics drop 144 on them on the second night of a back-to-back for Boston after an overtime loss to Golden State. These teams met once earlier this month, with Sacramento winning 114-106. Kevin Durant did not play in that game for the Suns.

Durant is available tonight, but Bradley Beal and Damion Lee remain out. Jusuf Nurkic has been ruled out for personal reasons, while Josh Okogie is questionable with a hip issue. The Kings have listed Malik Monk as questionable with a foot issue. JaVale McGee (wrist) is also questionable for Sacramento.

The Kings are 3.5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total coming in at 243.5. Sacramento is -162 on the moneyline while Phoenix is +136.

Suns vs. Kings, 10 p.m. ET

Pick ATS: Kings -3.5

Sacramento has won of its last seven games, covering in four of the six instances they were favorites. They barely missed a double-digit spread on the Wizards, and got smoked by the Celtics. The Kings are 10-4 at home this season, with a 7-7 ATS mark. The Suns are in a bit of a funk, going just 3-7 in their last 10 games while they continue to face injuries in their star core. Phoenix has covered just once in this 10-game stretch, when it defeated Golden State as an underdog.

I think the Kings are in a better position to bounce back from a surprising loss, especially at home. Give me Sacramento to win and cover in this division showdown.

Over/Under: Over 243.5

The last game went well under this total, but these teams have actually been putting up points in bunches. The Kings are 15-11 on overs this season while the Suns are 16-11. This is despite totals being set much higher than average for these two teams.

Phoenix has been in a bit of a slump over the last 10 games, averaging just 111 points per game. Sacramento is dropping 121.6 points per game in that same stretch while allowing 122. This is a great spot for the Suns to get going offensively again, which should lead to the over hitting.