The Houston Rockets (10-30) visit the Sacramento Kings (21-18) on Wednesday night. Action tips off at 10:10 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Rockets-Kings prediction and pick.
Houston has lost seven straight games and has cratered to last place in the West. The Rockets covered 45% of their games while 53% have gone under the projected point total. Sacramento has lost two of their last three but still sits in fifth place in the West. The Kings covered 54% of their games while 53% went under. This will be the first of four meetings between the two teams. Last season, the Kings won three of the four matchups with the Rockets.
Here are the Rockets-Kings NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Rockets-Kings Odds
Houston Rockets: +9.5 (-110)
Sacramento Kings: -9.5 (-110)
Over: 237 (-112)
Under: 237 (-108)
How To Watch Rockets vs. Kings
TV: ATTSN Southwest, NBCS California
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 10:00 pm ET/ 7:00 pm PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Rockets Could Cover The Spread
Houston has cratered after some early season promise and is now a front-runner to snag the top pick in next summer’s draft. The Rockets have the fifth-worst record against the spread and have gone 1-6 against the spread in their last seven games. The biggest issue of late is their offense. The Rockets have scored just 104 PPG over their last seven games – the second-lowest mark in the league over that span. That being said, the Rockets continue to be a strong rebounding team and that is where they could potentially best Sacramento. Houston ranks fourth in rebounding (56.2 RPG). They are particularly dangerous on the offensive glass where they rank first with 13.2 ORPG.
If the key to Houston covering tonight comes via the glass, that starts with center Alperen Sengun. Sengun has taken a huge leap in his second NBA season, averaging 14.6 PPG and 8.6 RPG. He averages the seventh-most offensive rebounds per game (3.3 ORPG) despite playing just 27 minutes per game. The 6’11” big man has flashed the ability to be a high-level scorer as well, especially in recent games. He’s scored 18 and 20 points in his last two games while collecting 22 rebounds.
Regardless of what Sengun does down low, the Rockets will only go as far as their guards allow them to. Jalen Green (21.2 PPG) and Kevin Porter Jr. (19.5 PPG) comprise the talented, but inconsistent Rockets backcourt. Green has sky-high potential after being drafted second in last year’s draft but has a wide range of variance on a night-to-night basis. He is coming off his worst game of the year where he scored nine points on 4/15 shooting against the Timberwolves. Prior to that, however, he had scored 30 points and drained four threes against the Jazz. While Green may have more potential than his backcourt mate, Porter Jr. has been the most consistent player of late. Porter Jr. has scored 23+ points in four of his last five games and has drained multiple threes in each of his last eight appearances.
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread
Sacramento has been one of the feel-good stories of the season so far as they attempt to snap the longest playoff drought in the NBA. The Kings have a great chance of covering tonight thanks to their explosive offense. Sacramento leads the league with 118.8 PPG. They rank seventh in fast break scoring (15.3 PPG) and rank fourth in assists (26.9 APG). Those strong numbers bode well tonight against a Houston defense allowing the 10th-most points per game (115.9 Opp. PPG) and the fastest break points per game (17.5 Opp. PPG).
The Kings love to run the break as they rank seventh in pace of play (103.7 possessions per game). That starts with lightning-quick point guard De’Aaron Fox. Fox leads the Kings with 23.8 PPG while dishing out 6.0 APG as well. Although he is an inconsistent shooter, he still maintains a 50.2 FG%. Fox has been the catalyst behind Sacramento’s turnaround this season and he will likely be looking to bounce back after a rough Monday outing. Despite their 25-point win over the Magic, Fox scored just 11 points. He had scored 34, 25, and 37 in the previous three games so expect a bounce back tonight.
The biggest factor in whether or not Sacramento will cover as heavy home favorites is the play of Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis is a unique big man who leads his team in assists (6.8 APG) while scoring the second-most on the team (18.7 PPG). For tonight’s purposes, though, his league-leading 12.4 RPG is what really stands out. Houston’s biggest strength is their rebounding ability – something that Sabonis will look to negate tonight.
Final Rockets-Kings Prediction & Pick
Houston is free-falling right now and given Sacramento’s recent play, I don’t expect that to stop tonight.
Final Rockets-Kings Prediction & Pick: Sacramento Kings -9.5 (-110)
.