The Sacramento Kings (five) and Minnesota Timberwolves (six) will try to put an end to their respective losing streaks when they play at Sleep Train Arena. Action begins at 10:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Apr. 7 and can be seen on FSN-N and CSN-CA.
The Kings are are hoping for a better outcome after their 101-95 loss to the Jazz on Sunday. Ben McLemore had a good outing, recording 20 points, five rebounds, and four steals for Sacramento. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 97-84 loss against the Magic on Friday. Justin Hamilton played well for Minnesota, recording 14 points, nine rebounds, and two steals
Keep tabs on Sacramento’s ability to get to the free throw line. They’re ranked first in the NBA in free throw attempt rate (35.6), but Minnesota is among the best in the league at keeping opponents away from the charity stripe (ranking fourth by yielding a free throw attempt rate of 24.1).
The Kings have emerged victorious in both games against the Timberwolves this year, escaping with a narrow 110-107 victory the last time these teams met. In the loss, Andrew Wiggins led all scorers with 27 points.
The odds for Sacramento and Minnesota are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Kings come into this game 26-50 Straight Up (SU) and 30-44-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 15-31 SU and 21-24-1 ATS against the Western Conference.
As for their opponent, the Timberwolves have a record of 31-43-2 ATS and 16-60 SU. Against the Western Conference, Minnesota is 7-39 SU and 20-24-2 ATS.
The Kings’ win over Minnesota in their last game bumped their SU record to 6-4 over the Timberwolves in the last 10 meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. Sacramento held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time in the last 10 matchups. On the other side of the court, Minnesota never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – MIN, ATS Winner – MIN
Notes
On average, Minnesota puts up 97.5 points per game (ranked 23rd). Sacramento ranks 29th in points allowed per game with 104.9.
Sacramento ranks 25th in points allowed per home game (102.4 PPG), while Minnesota ranks 16th in points per away game with 98.3.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, the Minnesota Timberwolves have an 8-9 record. When scoring fewer than 100 points, the Sacramento Kings have an underachieving record of 5-28.
At 8-51, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a subpar record when their opponents score 100 points or more. The Sacramento Kings are 21-22 when they hit the century mark.
The Kings have a defensive rating of 105.7 (ranked 27th), while the Timberwolves rank 26th for their offensive rating of 99.8.
Sacramento has an average field goal percentage of 45.2%. Minnesota is a subpar 8-47 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Sacramento Kings and the Minnesota Timberwolves both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Sacramento is 22nd and 15th in the league for EFF% and FG% respectively, while Minnesota ranks 28th and 23rd in these categories.
The Sacramento Kings rank 29th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.27. The Minnesota Timberwolves have a higher A/TO (1.50), ranking 21st.
Sacramento is ranked 12th in offensive rebounding. Minnesota ranks 30th in defensive rebounds.
Minnesota averages 8.2 steals per game, ranking ninth in the league. Sacramento is a subpar 13-37 when it allows at least 8 steals.
