A high-scoring game can be expected from the Sacramento Kings (31-48) and the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder (54-25) when two of the league’s top scoring offenses battle it out at Sleep Train Arena. The game gets underway at 10:30 pm ET on Saturday, Apr. 9 and will air on FxK and CSA.
The Kings were beaten by the Timberwolves 105-97 on Thursday. Darren Collison finished with 19 points to lead the game. The Thunder, meanwhile, are coming off a 120-115 loss to the Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Enes Kanter had a solid game, recording his 24th double-double of the season with 33 points and 20 rebounds.
Collison has been playing at a high level as of late for the Kings, averaging 18.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 0.8 three-pointers over the last five games. On the other side, the Thunder have been led by Kanter. He has been on fire, averaging 18.4 points and 11.0 rebounds in the same time frame.
When considering effective field goal percentage, the Thunder figure to have a substantial advantage on the offensive end. They rank third in the NBA in that category at 52.5%, whereas Sacramento’s bottom-tier effective field goal percentage defense ranks 26th with opponents connecting at a clip of 52.1%.
The Thunder have won two out of three against the Kings this season, including a 131-116 victory in their last matchup. Russell Westbrook played a huge role in the victory with a triple-double, with 20 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds.
The Kings look to improve upon their records of 31-48 Straight Up (SU) and 36-41-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Even though they have a 16-24 record ATS, they are at home against Western Conference opponents. The Kings come into the game with the third-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 106.8 points per game. Turning to the defensive side, the Kings are the fifth-best team in the league at taking the ball away from their opponents, averaging 8.8 steals per game.
Across the court, Oklahoma City has a SU record of 54-25 and an ATS record of 34-42-3. Most recently, Oklahoma City is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games. The Thunder rank second in the league in scoring, averaging 110.3 points per game. Oklahoma City is the best rebounding teams in the NBA. The Thunder average a league-leading 48.5 rebounds per game. When it comes to defending the rim, the Thunder are one of the best in the league with an average of 5.9 blocks per game.
With the Thunder’s last win against Sacramento, their SU record rises to 8-2 over the Kings in the last 10 games. Additionally, the Thunder lead the matchup ATS with a record of 5-4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC
Notes
“Sacramento is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games “.
“Sacramento is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games “.
“Sacramento is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Sacramento is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games at home”.
“Sacramento is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games at home”.
“Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City”.
“Sacramento is 2-15 SU in its last 17 games when playing Oklahoma City”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Sacramento’s last 13 games when playing Oklahoma City”.
“Sacramento is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City”.
“Sacramento is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City”.
Sacramento ranks third in points per game with 106.8, while Oklahoma City ranks 17th in points allowed with an average of 103.1 given up.
Oklahoma City ranks second in points allowed per road game (106.1 PPG), while Sacramento ranks fourth in points per home game with 107.4.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Kings are 12-3 on the season. When the Thunder score fewer than 100, they are an abysmal 3-12.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Kings are just 19-45 this season. Oklahoma City is an outstanding 51-13 when it hits the century mark.
The Kings have an offensive rating of 104.2 (ranked 14th). The Thunder rank 12th for their defensive rating of 103.7.
The Sacramento Kings average 102.5 possessions per game and 1.042 points per possession, while the Oklahoma City Thunder earn fewer possessions (99.8) but more points per possession (1.106).
The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking third in the league with an EFF% of 52.5%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Sacramento Kings have an underachieving 7-29 record.
The Sacramento Kings, ranked fourth in the NBA, average 24.6 assists per game. The Oklahoma City Thunder make 23.0 assists (ranked 10th)
Sacramento makes an average of 4.4 blocks per game (ranked 20th). Oklahoma City ranks higher in blocks with 5.9 (ranked fifth).
The Sacramento Kings are a top-15 offensive rebounding team, currently ranked 14th for the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder rank near the very top (second) in defensive rebounding.
Making 8.8 steals per game, Sacramento is ranked fifth in the NBA. Oklahoma City has a winning 34-17 record when it allows at least 8 steals.
