Rockets vs. Kings Prediction
The Houston Rockets are a big road favorite today when they take on the Sacramento Kings at 6PM ET. Will the Rockets cover?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Houston is favored on the road, as the Rockets are getting odds of -9 points against the Kings. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 224 points. Houston has won and covered the spread in four straight meetings with the Kings, including all three meetings this season.
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Houston is coming off a surprising 114-109 loss at home to the Pistons to fall to 53-26 on the season. Houston is locked into the third seed in the West for the playoffs, so they have little to play for. It has shown recently, as they have failed to cover in six straight to fall to 42-37 ATS on the season. On the year, Houston averages 115.2 points per game on offense while allowing 109 on defense. Over their last five, they average 109.4 on offense, while allowing 111.6 on defense. James Harden is leading the team with 29.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 11.2 assists per contest.
Sacramento is coming off a 98-94 loss at Los Angeles on Friday to drop to 31-48 on the season. The Kings are long gone from playoff consideration, but still have been competitive in recent weeks. They are 39-37-3 against the spread on the season and average 102.3 on offense while giving up 106.3 on defense. Over their last five they are allowing 106.2 on defense while averaging 97.2 on offense. Buddy Hield has been leading the team since joining, averaging 14.5 points per game.
It’s unclear if Houston will truly make a full effort tonight, since the Rockets have nothing to play for. Harden may still be trying to make a case for the MVP, but it shouldn’t be at the risk of injuring himself before the postseason. Sacramento doesn’t have much of a roster, but the young roster is still trying to prove itself and earn spots on next year’s team. Look for Sacramento to play motivated enough to cover this big spread.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: SACRAMENTO KINGS +9