A defensive struggle can be expected from the Washington Wizards (11-14) and the visiting Sacramento Kings (11-16) when two of the league’s top scoring defenses battle it out at the Verizon Center. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Dec. 21 and will air on CSA and WA2.
The Wizards were victorious over the Hornets 109-101 on Saturday. Jared Dudley had 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists for Washington. The Kings, meanwhile, are coming off a 104-94 win over the Raptors on Sunday. Rajon Rondo played well, recording 19 points and 13 assists to claim his 13th double-double of the season.
Rondo has been on a tear over the last five games for the Kings, averaging 15.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.8 three-pointers.
It could be a sloppy game for the Kings offense, which ranks 26th in the league in ball security (turnover percentage of 15.6%). They’ll be facing the ball-hawking Washington defense, which forces the third-most turnovers in the NBA (16.3%).
The Wizards, a three-point favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Sacramento. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is 213 points. The Wizards enter the game with records of 11-14 Straight Up (SU) and 12-13 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS versus the Western Conference.
On the other side, the Kings head into the game with records of 13-14 ATS and 11-16 SU. In Eastern Conference games, Sacramento has gone 7-4 SU and 6-5 ATS. They sport the third-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 104.6 points per game. Sacramento is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the league, converting .367 of their shots from three-point range. Defenses have a tough time accounting for every player when up against the Kings, who are known for distributing the ball with 24.3 assists per game.
The Wizards and the Kings will be facing off in their first head-to-head contest of the season. When they last met the Kings were winners, bringing their SU record in the past 10 games to 6-4. Additionally, the Kings lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Sac, ATS Winner – Sac, O/U – Over
Notes
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington’s last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Washington’s last 18 games at home.
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home.
Washington is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Sacramento.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington’s last 6 games when playing Sacramento.
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Sacramento.
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Washington’s last 19 games when playing at home against Sacramento.
Washington puts up an average of 101.5 points per game (ranked 16th). Sacramento ranks 28th in points allowed per game with 106.9.
On average, Washington scores 104.4 points per home game (ranked ninth). Sacramento ranks 30th in points allowed per road game with 109.8.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Wizards are 6-1 on the season. When the Kings score fewer than 100, they are a subpar 2-9.
Washington is an underachieving 5-13 when it gives up 100 or more points. Sacramento has a 9-7 record when it hits the century mark.
The Kings have a defensive rating of 105.5 (ranked 24th). The Wizards rank 22nd for their offensive rating of 101.3.
With 100.2 possessions and 1.013 points per possession, the Washington Wizards perform worse on both metrics than the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento averages 101.6 possessions and 1.029 points per possession.
Sacramento has an average effective field goal percentage of 50.6% (ranked eighth in the league}. Washington is an underachieving 3-12 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Sacramento ranks near the top of the league in assists at fourth (24.3 assists per game). Washington is ranked ninth, with 22.7 assists per game.
The Washington Wizards average 3.6 blocks per game for a rank of 28th. The Sacramento Kings rank higher (25th), earning 4.0 blocks each contest.
Washington is ranked 26th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Sacramento ranks 18th in defensive rebounds.
The Washington Wizards average 8.8 steals per game (ranked eighth). The Sacramento Kings have a poor record of 7-12 when they allow at least 8 steals.
