The San Antonio Spurs (22-11) visit Sacramento to play the Kings (11-20) in what should be a low-scoring game. The game will air on NBC Sports – California at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 23, 2017.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 196 points with San Antonio opening as an 8-point favorite.
San Antonio Spurs at Sacramento Kings Free Prediction
In the Spurs’ last outing, they were topped by the Utah Jazz, 100-89. Making free throws was one of Utah’s biggest advantages. They were 20-24 (83.3 percent), while the Spurs were just 11-16 (68.8 percent). San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard put together a good outing, recording 10 points and five rebounds.
The Kings beat the Brooklyn Nets in their last matchup, 104-99. Sacramento’s offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest advantage over Brooklyn. The Kings had a rate of 35.1 (above their season average of 21.2), while the Nets posted a mark of 30.0. George Hill was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points on 7-for-9 shooting.
The ineffective offense of Sacramento (30th in the league with an offensive efficiency of 99.7) will battle against the elite defense of San Antonio (third in the NBA with a defensive efficiency of 102.0). The Spurs should have the advantage on that side of the ball.
San Antonio holds records of 22-11 straight up (SU) and 16-15-2 against the spread (ATS). Of the Spurs’ 33 games, 19 have finished under the projected point total.
Meanwhile, Sacramento is 11-20 SU and 14-14-3 ATS. Coinciding with San Antonio, games featuring the Kings have gone under the O/U total 51.6 percent of the time.
After the Spurs won all four contests against the Kings last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent matchup, San Antonio won 118-102. The Spurs had a much better turnover percentage (5.7 vs. 10.8) and had a better free throw rate (0.241 vs. 0.157).
San Antonio Spurs vs. Sacramento Kings Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Spurs, ATS Winner – Spurs, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, San Antonio is 5-10-1 ATS with 12 unders, 3 overs and 1 push.
Sacramento is 7-5 ATS at home with 7 unders and 5 overs.
When allowing less than 100 points, San Antonio is 14-5 and Sacramento is 6-2.
The Kings are 7-4 when they reach 100 points, while the Spurs are 15-1.
San Antonio ranks second in blocks per game (5.8) while Sacramento ranks 21st (4.4).
The Spurs rank seventh in three pointers allowed per game (26.8) while the Kings rank 26th (31.5).
San Antonio ranks ninth in rebounds per game (44.6) while Sacramento ranks 27th (40.0).
The Spurs rank 16th in fast break points per game (10.2) while the Kings rank 25th (8.3).
San Antonio ranks 19th in assists per game (22.0) while Sacramento ranks 28th (20.5).
The Kings average 8.2 steals per game, which ranks 11th in the league. The Spurs rank 17th in steals allowed per game (8.0).
San Antonio ranks 20th in points off turnovers per game (15.7) while Sacramento ranks 26th (15.1).
The Spurs rank 10th in second chance points per game (13.4) while the Kings rank 14th in second chance points allowed per game (12.1).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, San Antonio is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Sacramento is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Spurs have been outscored by an average of 0.8 points in their last five games. For the season, San Antonio has defeated opponents by an average of 2.9 points.
During their last five games, the Kings have scored an average of 98.6 points per game (2.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 102.6 points per game (2.4 below their season average).
