The Sacramento Kings (7-13) travel to Houston to take on the Rockets (9-11) in what should be a fast-paced game. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, Dec. 5 and can be seen on RSW and CSA.
The Rockets enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Mavericks 100-96 on Friday. James Harden was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points on 10-for-23 shooting. The Kings, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 114-97 loss against the Celtics on Thursday. Darren Collison had a good game for Sacramento, registering 12 points, five assists, and one rebound.
There could be a fair amount of transition offense in a game that features two of the league’s more up-tempo teams. Houston is ranked fourth in the NBA in possessions per game (101.2), while Sacramento is second (102.3).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first matchup 116-110. Harden put up a double-double in the victory with 43 points and 13 assists.
The Rockets are a five-point favorite against Sacramento and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 216 points. The Rockets have gone 9-11 Straight Up (SU) and 6-14 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. The Rockets are one of the best in the NBA in terms of three-point field goals, making 9.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. Turning to the defensive side, opponents have consistently had the ball stolen by the Rockets, who rank second in the league in steals per game with 9.9.
In the other locker room, the Kings have a record of 9-11 ATS and 7-13 SU. Against the Western Conference, Sacramento is 2-9 SU and 4-7 ATS. Offensively, they average 104.8 points per game, which is good for fourth in the league. The Kings convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking fifth in the league at .372. The Kings are an unselfish team with an average of 23.7 assists per game, ranking fifth in the NBA. Sacramento is the fifth-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 18.4 per game.
Houston beat Sacramento in their most recent meeting this season, bumping its SU record to 8-2 over the Kings in their last 10 meetings. With a 7-3 record, the Rockets also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, ATS Winner – Sac, O/U – Over
Notes
Houston is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games.
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Houston is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 games when playing Sacramento.
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Sacramento.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston’s last 6 games when playing at home against Sacramento.
Houston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Sacramento.
Sacramento is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Houston.
Houston ranks 11th in points per game with 102.0, while Sacramento ranks 29th in points allowed with an average of 108.8 given up.
Sacramento ranks third in points allowed per road game (113.4 PPG), while Houston ranks 15th in points per home game with 102.0.
The Houston Rockets are an even 1-1 when they keep their opponents to fewer than 100 points. The Sacramento Kings have an underachieving record of 1-7 this season when they don’t reach the century mark.
When allowing at least 100 points, the Houston Rockets are 8-10. When hitting triple digits, the Sacramento Kings are 6-6.
The Kings have a defensive rating of 106.7 (ranked 26th). The Rockets rank 20th for their offensive rating of 100.9.
Sacramento beats Houston in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Kings average 102.3 possessions and 1.024 points per possession, while the Rockets average 101.2 possessions with 1.009 points per possession.
Sacramento is the 10th-ranked team in the NBA in average effective field goal percentage at 49.9%. Houston is 6-9 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Houston makes an average of 20.2 assists per game (ranked 23rd). Sacramento ranks higher in assists with 23.7 (ranked fifth).
Houston makes an average of 5.8 blocks per game (ranked ninth), while Sacramento makes 3.9 blocks per game (ranked 28th).
Houston is ranked fifth in offensive rebounding. Sacramento ranks 19th in defensive rebounds.
The Houston Rockets average 9.9 steals per game (ranked second). The Sacramento Kings have an abysmal record of 2-7 when they allow at least 9 steals.
