The Los Angeles Lakers will be at Sleep Train Arena to take on a division foe in the Sacramento Kings. The game gets underway at 10:00 pm ET on Monday, Apr. 13 and will air on TWC SN and CSN-CA.
The Kings were beaten by the Thunder 116-103 on Friday. Ray McCallum was the top performer for the Kings, contributing 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists. The Lakers, meanwhile, are coming off a 106-98 win over the Timberwolves on Friday. Ryan Kelly led the team in scoring with 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting.
The aggressive Kings offense seems focused on getting to the foul line. They rank first in the NBA at getting to the stripe (free throw attempt rate of 35.7), while Los Angeles is among the league’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 27th-ranked free throw attempt rate of 30.6). The Lakers should also expect to protect the ball well. They rank fifth at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 12.9%). Conversely, the Kings force the fifth-fewest turnovers in the league (opponents’ turnover percentage of 12.6%).
The two teams have split their matchups this season. The Kings had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 108-101 win. DeMarcus Cousins recorded a double-double with 29 points and 14 rebounds.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Kings are looking to improve on their records of 27-52 Straight Up (SU) and 31-45-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 5-9 SU and 6-8 ATS when playing their division. The Kings are a phenomenal shooting team from the line with an NBA-best 1,749 free throws made (22.1 per game).
On the other side, the Lakers head into the game with records of 38-38-3 ATS and 21-58 SU. Los Angeles has a record of 2-12 SU and 5-8-1 ATS against the Pacific. Los Angeles’s defense tends to perform poorly when they play division rivals. They’ve allowed an average of 113.1 points per game against teams from the Pacific, higher than their season average of 104.9. Los Angeles has not committed many turnovers, averaging only 12.6 per game.
Following the Kings’ latest win over Los Angeles, Sacramento is still behind in the head-to-head record over the last 10 meetings, 3-7 SU. Additionally, with an 8-2 record, the Lakers have the advantage ATS. Neither Sacramento nor Los Angeles has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) over their most recent 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAL, ATS Winner – LAL
Notes
Sacramento ranks 13th in points per game with 101.0, while Los Angeles ranks 28th in points allowed with an average of 104.9 given up.
Los Angeles ranks 15th in points allowed per road game (106.9 PPG), while Sacramento ranks 16th in points per home game with 101.3.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Kings are 15-7 on the season. When the Lakers score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 4-35.
At 12-45, the Sacramento Kings have an abysmal record when their opponents score at least 100 points. The Los Angeles Lakers are 17-23 when they put up triple digits.
The Lakers have a defensive rating of 107.4 (ranked 29th). The Kings rank 18th for their offensive rating of 101.9.
The Sacramento Kings average 99.1 possessions and 1.019 points per possession in games this season. The Los Angeles Lakers average fewer possessions with 97.7, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.008.
The Sacramento Kings average an effective field goal percentage of 48.7% this season. The Los Angeles Lakers have an underachieving record of 7-42 when opponents have an EFF% of 48.7% or greater.
On average, the Los Angeles Lakers make 20.9 assists per game and the Sacramento Kings make 20.1. Los Angeles is ranked 21st, while Sacramento is ranked 28th.
Sacramento makes an average of 4.0 blocks per game (ranked 27th). Los Angeles ranks higher in blocks with 4.4 (ranked 22nd).
Sacramento is ranked 12th in offensive rebounding. Los Angeles ranks 14th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Sacramento makes 6.6 steals per game. Los Angeles is a losing 16-45 when it gives up at least 6 steals.
