Sacramento Kings vs Portland Trail Blazers betting tips and predictions for Thursday’s NBA game at Golden 1 Center. The Blazers and Kings collide for the 2nd time this season as the NBA resumes following All-Star weekend. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings had 2 representatives in the ASG this weekend, but neither Fox or Sabonis played a big role so they should be healthy and rested for tonight’s game. Sacramento lost the first meeting of the season in this building against the Blazers, so that’ll certainly be a motivating factor here. It’s a tight race in the Western Conference this season, so this is a big game for both sides.
The Kings currently sit in 3rd place, however the Clippers and Suns are right behind them so every single win counts. It hasn’t been a pleasant experience facing the Blazers at home, in the last 9 meetings they’ve gone just 3-6 ATS, however health is one their side in tonight’s game.
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is still missing Jusuf Nurkic which has caused serious issues defending the paint lately. Joining him on the sidelines will be Justise Winslow and Anfernee Simons, which is a big blow both on the defensive and offensive end. Jerami Grant has missed the last couple of games with a concussion, but having not played any basketball in 7 days he should be ready to go here.
Damian Lillard marked the All-Star weekend by winning the three-point contest, but also draining the game winning three pointer for Team Giannis. When you have a played like that one your roster, none of these absences should matter as Lillard is capable of dropping 50 on any given night. Portland has struggled on the road and that’s the main concern they should have ahead of tonight’s game. In their last 11 games they’ve gone just 2-9 ATS, but the good news is vs the Kings they are 5-2 SU in the last 7 head-to-head.
As dominant as the Blazers have been in head-to-head meetings, I can’t disregard their injury situation. They don’t have anyone that can battle Sabonis on the boards, and Lillard is their only scoring option here. Take the Kings to cover.
Sacramento Kings vs Portland Trail Blazers Predictions & Odds
Despite all the absences, the oddsmakers still feel comfortable setting their projected total to 239.5 points here. These two teams have gone over in 6 of the last 10 meetings with an average of 231.2 points per game scored, so we could be in for another high scoring affair. The last 8 of 12 meetings have cashed on the over, while the Kings have a 7-3 record on the O/U in their last 10 home games.
They are 18-10-1 for the season when playing at the Golden 1 Center, not really surprising considering they play the 10th fastest pace in the league and have the 3rd most efficient offense only behind Denver and Boston. The Blazers rank 4th in that category, so they’re right up there with the best of them when it comes to scoring. I think we’ll see that on full display here, so let’s back the over.
