Sacramento Kings vs. Atlanta Hawks Prediction, Preview, and Odds
NBA action continues on Friday night with a matchup between the Sacramento Kings (17-12, 15-12 ATS) and the Atlanta Hawks (12-18, 7-23 ATS). Sacramento is currently 5th in the Western Conference, while the Hawks are back in 12th in the East. The Kings just lost a road matchup in Portland, going down 130-113 as 8.5-point road favorites. Atlanta is also coming off a home loss, losing to the Bulls in Chicago 118-113 as 2.5-point favorites. This is the first of two matchups between these teams this season. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 EST from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
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Kings Drop Three of Four
The Sacramento Kings are one of the better teams in the Western Conference, but recently hit a rough patch as they have lost three of their last four games. Sacramento lost home games to the Celtics and Blazers, and also dropped a game in Minnesota. Their one win in the stretch came against the surprisingly struggling Phoenix Suns. The recent losses were not due to injuries, as the Kings currently do not have any players listed on their injury report. In their last game, De'Aaron Fox had 43 points, but it was not enough to defeat the Blazers as they lost by 17.
Fox is 5th in the NBA in scoring at 30.2 PPG, while adding 6.1 APG and 4.6 RPG. He has had 20 or more points in each of the last six games, including two games where he went over 40. Fox continues to improve his outside shot, he is knocking down 3.4 threes per game on 39.6% shooting. Domantas Sabonis is a smart post player, he averages 19.4 PPG and leads the team with 12.1 RPG and 7.4 APG. He has had a double-double in his last 12 games, including four triple-doubles. The two stars are surrounded by shooters on the perimeter, Keegan Murray is the top scorer out of them with 15.8 PPG, and the two other starters are Harrison Barnes (11.7 PPG) and Kevin Huerter (10.6 PPG).
Malik Monk is a big scorer off the bench, he leads the second unit with 14.0 PPG and often stays in during crunch time. Trey Lyles gets minutes off the bench as a stretch four adding 6.1 PPG. The Kings rank 10th in the NBA in offensive efficiency, and 22nd in defensive efficiency according to dunksandthrees.com. The Kings play at the 10th fastest tempo in the league based on their pace of play.
Injury Report: None listed
Hawks Lost Three Straight
The Atlanta Hawks are currently near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and are fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament, but they will need to win more games to advance to the postseason. The Hawks come in as losers of their last three, going down to Miami, Memphis and Chicago. Atlanta has lost three of their last four home games, with the only win coming over the lowly Pistons. In their last game, Bogdan Bogdanovic has 22 points off the bench, and Trae Young added another 21 in the loss against the Bulls.
Trae Young is leading the team in points and assists with 28.1 PPG and 11.3 APG. He has had 10 or more assists in his last eight games, all of which were double-doubles. Young has played 40 or more minutes in each of the past three games during their losing streak. Dejounte Murray is an athletic two guard, he scores 20.2 PPG, and is an elite perimeter defender. Murray leads the team with 1.6 steals per game, and also adds 5.3 APG. De'Andre Hunter typically starts at small forward, he is another strong perimeter defender and adds 14.9 PPG on the outside, but will miss this game with an injury. Clint Capela is their big man inside, he is a rim protector adding 12.0 PPG and 10.5 RPG. The last starting spot has been a mix Saddiq Bey and Jalen Johnson.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is their big scorer off the bench, he is their third leading scorer with 17.9 PPG on the year. He could make a push for 6th man of the year, but the Hawks would likely need more team success to him to get the award. The Hawks currently rank 5th in the league in offensive efficiency, and 28th in defensive efficiency. Atlanta plays at the 5th fastest tempo in the NBA.
Injury Report:
Out: De'Andre Hunter
Questionable: Seth Lundy, AJ Griffin
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Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
Rating:
Sacramento is currently getting one point on the spread, there is not enough value there so I will take the moneyline in this matchup. Both teams have been losing some games recently, but Sacramento is likely to bounce back, while Atlanta is having a nightmare season. The Hawks have been underachieving, not only are they outside of the playoffs, but they also have the worst record in the league against the spread. The Hawks have only covered seven of their 30 games this season, the Pistons and the Spurs have each covered more games. Atlanta's tried to find a star two-guard to pair with Young, but that may not be the best fit, as Young plays better with post players who can finish around the rim. De'Aaron Fox has improved his shooting and scoring, but has always been an elite defender, he will take on the challenge of slowing down Young on the perimeter. The Kings are a better version of the Hawks, even if the star guards are even, Sabonis is the best post player in the game, and the Hawks will be without De'Andre Hunter on the perimeter. This matchup favors Sacramento, and that will be the play here.
Take the Kings on the moneyline.
Prediction: Kings Moneyline
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
Rating:
We have a big number on the board at 248, but it is that high for a reason. This will be a shootout that will go over the total. Both teams push the tempo as the Hawks are 5th in the NBA in tempo and the Kings are 10th. Trae Young and De'Aaron Fox both play fast and attack in transition whenever possible. The point guards move quickly, and their penetration collapses the opposing defenses finding spot up threes for the multiple shooters in the game. Bogdanovic, Huerter, Murray, Monk, and Barnes are all outside shooters that will fire from deep early in the possession if they are open. Atlanta has the 3rd fastest offensive possessions in the league, and Sacramento has the 5th fastest. The Hawks have gone over in four of their last six, and the Kings have gone over in three of their last five. The analytics and trends both point toward the over.
Take the over.
Prediction: Over 248
Paul has been a sports fan his entire life, and was an All-Conference basketball player at The University of Scranton. He is currently a high school basketball coach and a mathematics teacher with a Master’s in Business Administration. This unique combination gives Paul the ability to find mismatches from a coach’s perspective while having the ability to analyze statistical data to spot advantages. Paul will provide you with an array of statistics, trends, and analytics to prepare for any match-up. Follow Paul for up-to-date analysis and all your betting needs. We are thrilled to have Paul on our team.
