Pacers vs. Kings prediction: NBA odds, picks, best bets for Thursday
The shorthanded Indiana Pacers continue a six-game road trip Thursday night in California’s capital as they face the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
The Pacers acquired All-Star forward Pascal Siakam from the Raptors on Wednesday, hoping to boost an already explosive offense that leads the NBA in scoring, as well as kickstart a defense that ranks 26th in efficiency.
However, Siakam won’t play against the Kings, and injuries have left the Pacers’ roster depleted for Thursday’s game.
Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) has been upgraded to questionable after missing the last four games, as are Bennedict Maturin (ankle) Aaron Nesmith (shin) and Obi Toppin (calf).
And don’t forget, Bruce Brown was traded away in the Siakam deal.
Indiana has seen the “under” cash in four straight games, which aligns with Haliburton being sidelined.
The Kings are back at home after dropping the final three games of their road swing, including two in heart-breaking fashion.
After losing on a buzzer-beater in overtime at Milwaukee, Sacramento squandered a 22-point fourth-quarter lead in Tuesday’s 119-117 setback at Phoenix.
Sacramento will try to get back on the track at home, where it owns a 13-7 record.
The last time the Kings played at Golden 1, it was an ugly outcome as New Orleans won decisively, 133-100, on Jan. 7.
Without Haliburton, the Pacers – who lead the league in scoring with an average of 125.6 points per game – have lost three straight, scoring no more than 109 points in any of the games.
The Kings and Pacers split a pair of matchups last season with the home team winning each time. Sacramento rolled past Indiana, 137-114, as 4.5-point favorites in November 2022.
With all the moving pieces that Indiana has at the moment and the questionable (if not doubtful) status of Haliburton and several others, it’s hard to make a case for the Pacers right now, especially against a Sacramento team that is lethal from 3-point range.
The Kings are coming off a pair of extremely tough losses, but coming home should provide a nice boost for them tonight against a depleted Pacers roster.
Pick: Kings -7.5 (-110, BetMGM)
