The Sacramento Kings (13-31) will try to snap their six-game losing streak when they go head-to-head against the Memphis Grizzlies (15-28) at FedExForum. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, January 19, 2018, and will air on NBC Sports – California.
Sacramento Kings at Memphis Grizzlies Free Prediction
The Kings are hoping for a better outcome after their 120-105 loss to the Utah Jazz in their last outing. Utah’s 10.0 turnover percentage was their biggest strength over Sacramento, who had a rate of 19.0. The Jazz’s mark was better than their season average of 13.2, while the Kings’ was above their season average of 12.9. Willie Cauley-Stein was Sacramento’s high scorer with 26 points on 11-for-18 shooting.
The last time the Grizzlies played, they beat the New York Knicks, 105-99. The Grizzlies had 9 steals and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.505 vs. 0.470). Tyreke Evans was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points on 9-for-21 shooting.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when a pair of the league’s slowest-paced teams battle. Memphis currently ranks 30th in possessions per game (95.6) and Sacramento is 25th (97.1).
Sacramento holds records of 13-31 straight up (SU) and 17-24-3 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Kings games, with 23 overs compared to 20 unders.
Meanwhile, Memphis is 15-28 SU and 17-24-2 ATS. Grizzlies games tend to finish under the O/U total (60.5 percent).
Bogdan Bogdanovic has averaged 16.6 points and 3.6 assists over the last five games for Sacramento.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Evans scored a game-high 26 points and the Grizzlies beat the Kings 114-96, covering as 2-point underdogs. He also put up seven rebounds and five assists. The game finished with a total of 210 points, which was 18 points above the projected point total of 192 points. Memphis’ free throw rate was their largest advantage over Sacramento. The Grizzlies had a rate of 0.237, while the Kings posted a mark of 0.151.
Sacramento Kings at Memphis Grizzlies Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Grizzlies, ATS Winner – Grizzlies, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Sacramento is 8-12-3 ATS with 11 overs, 11 unders and 1 push.
Memphis is 9-13-1 ATS at home with 16 unders and 7 overs.
In games where they allow below 100 points, Memphis is 10-9 and Sacramento is 8-4.
The Kings are 9-10 when they reach the century mark, while the Grizzlies are 10-9.
Memphis ranks fifth in blocks per game (5.3) while Sacramento ranks 24th (4.0).
The Grizzlies rank fifth in assists allowed per game (20.9) while the Kings rank 24th (24.2).
Memphis ranks third in steals allowed per game (6.9) while Sacramento ranks 21st (8.2).
The Grizzlies rank ninth in three pointers allowed per game (27.7) while the Kings rank 26th (31.2).
Memphis averages 13.7 fast break points per game, which ranks seventh in the league. Sacramento ranks 19th in fast break points allowed per game (12.0).
The Grizzlies rank first in points allowed in the paint per game (40.0) while the Kings rank 12th (43.3).
Memphis ranks 14th in points off turnovers per game (16.9) while Sacramento ranks 25th (15.0).
Neither of these teams are great at rebounding the ball. The Grizzlies are 28th in the league with 40.2 rebounds per game while the Kings are 29th with 40.1 rebounds per game.
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Sacramento is 1-4 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Memphis is 4-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Kings’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 12.4, up from 9.0 for the season.
During their last five games, the Grizzlies have scored an average of 102.2 points per game (2.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 100.8 points per game (1.4 below their season average).
