Kings vs. Raptors Pick
Will the host Toronto Raptors roll to a victory this afternoon when they play the Sacramento Kings?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Raptors are listed as a 12.5-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under is set at 207 points.
Sacramento enters with a 9-19 record and is 12-13-3 ATS after a 119-96 loss at the Timberwolves. Toronto is 19-8 overall and 15-12 ATS following a 120-87 home victory over the Nets. The Raptors won the first meeting by a count of 102-87 in Sacramento on Dec. 10. The Kings are 2-1 straight up and 2-1 ATS in three meetings since the start of last season. The under is 3-0.
In the loss at Minnesota, George Hill led the way with 16 points along with three assists and two rebounds. Zach Randolph tallied 15 points and nine rebounds. Kosta Koufos added 11 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Sacramento trailed by nine at halftime and were outscored 31-16 in the third quarter.
DeMar DeRozan paced Toronto with 31 points, three rebounds and two steals in the win over Brooklyn. Serge Ibaka accounted for 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Jonas Valunciunas added 14 points and five rebounds. The Raptors led 58-44 at halftime.
Sacramento is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings in Toronto. The under is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
Although the Kings have had some recent ATS success against Toronto, the 15-point win by the Raptors in Sacramento shows the talent discrepancy between these two teams. Expect big games out of DeRozan and Kyle Lowry and a sizeable halftime lead early. As long as the reserves do their job in the fourth quarter and avoid the backdoor cover, Toronto should have few issues here.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: TORONTO RAPTORS -12.5