In a matchup highlighted by two of the NBA’s top scorers, Russell Westbrook (27.5 PPG) and the Thunder (42-36) welcome DeMarcus Cousins (24.1 PPG) and the Sacramento Kings (27-51) to Chesapeake Energy Arena. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 10 and can be seen on CSN-CA and FSN-OK.
The Thunder are are hoping for a better outcome after their 113-88 loss to the Spurs on Tuesday. Westbrook was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points. The Kings, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 103-91 loss against the Jazz on Wednesday. Derrick Williams played well for Sacramento, recording 14 points, five rebounds, and three steals
Enes Kanter has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Thunder. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks.
The Thunder lead the season series against the Kings two games to one, but lost their most recent matchup, a 104-83 blowout. In the victory, Rudy Gay led all scorers with 28 points.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Oklahoma City, a substantial 14-point favorite, takes on Sacramento. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 216 points for this matchup. The Thunder come into this game 42-36 Straight Up (SU) and 37-39-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 22-27 SU and 24-24-1 ATS against the Western Conference. The Thunder have no trouble scoring as they rank third in the league in home offense with 106.8 points per game. The Thunder are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 18.6 per game. Oklahoma City’s defense has been struggling to keep points off the board over their most recent matchups. The Thunder have given up an average of 109.1 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 101.6 PPG.
Over on the other bench, the Kings have a record of 30-45-3 ATS and 27-51 SU. Against the Western Conference, Sacramento is 16-32 SU and 21-25-2 ATS. The Kings get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, leading the league with 1,729 made (22.2 per game).
The Kings’ win over Oklahoma City in their last clash wasn’t enough for them to overtake the Thunder in the recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 1-9 SU over the last 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Thunder hold the advantage ATS with a record of 5-4-1. Oklahoma City held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times, while Sacramento was never able to do so in their most recent 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC, ATS Winner – OKC, O/U – Over
Notes
Oklahoma City is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City’s last 6 games.
Oklahoma City is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Oklahoma City’s last 9 games when playing Sacramento.
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Sacramento.
Oklahoma City puts up an average of 103.4 points per game (ranked seventh). Sacramento ranks 28th in points allowed per game with 104.9.
Oklahoma City averages 106.8 points per home game, placing the team third-best in the NBA. Sacramento, on the other hand, allows 107.4 points per away game (ranked 29th).
In its last game, Oklahoma City lost by a 25-point margin. Sacramento is 5-11 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Oklahoma City has an 8-5 record in blowouts.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Sacramento Kings are a solid 15-7. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder have an abysmal record of 7-22.
The Sacramento Kings have an underachieving 12-44 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Oklahoma City Thunder are 35-14 when they hit the century mark.
The Kings have an offensive rating of 101.9 (ranked 17th), while the Thunder rank 15th for their defensive rating of 102.4.
Oklahoma City has an average field goal percentage of 44.7%. Sacramento is a subpar 6-42 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Sacramento Kings rank higher for their field goal percentage (14th) than their effective field goal percentage (21st), while the Oklahoma City Thunder rank the same for both metrics (18th).
Oklahoma City makes an average of 20.6 assists per game (ranked 24th), while Sacramento makes 20.1 assists per game (ranked 28th).
Oklahoma City makes an average of 5.6 blocks per game (ranked seventh), while Sacramento makes 3.9 blocks per game (ranked 27th).
Oklahoma City ranks among the best in the league in offensive rebounding at second, while Sacramento is a top-10 team in defensive rebounding (ranked ninth).
On average, Oklahoma City makes 7.3 steals per game. Sacramento is a subpar 17-41 when it gives up at least 7 steals.
