NBA Picks: Sacramento Kings vs. Phoenix Suns | Jan 16

Sacramento Kings (23-16 SU, 21-18 ATS) vs. Phoenix Suns (21-18 SU, 14-25 ATS)

When: Tuesday, January 16th, 9:00 PM (ET)

Where: Footprint Center, AZ, Phoenix

TV: NBCS

Point Spread: Sac +5/Pho -5

Total: 243

Money Line: Sacramento Kings +165/-200

Notable Injuries

Kings

• Keegan Murray (Questionable) Hip

Suns

• Damion Lee (Out) Knee
• Bol Bol (Out) Foot

At 9:00 ET, the Sacramento Kings (+165) will travel to take on the Phoenix Suns (-200) in a Western Pacific Division matchup. The Kings (23-16) currently sit 5th in the Western Conference, while the Suns (21-18) are 8th. The over/under line for this game is 243 points.

Phoenix is currently favored by 5 points at home. The Suns have won two straight games and are 3rd in the Pacific Division. The Kings, who have lost two straight, are 2nd in the Pacific.

Recent Form

Sacramento has lost their last two games as the underdog and are 4-5 as the underdog this season. Today, they are 5-point underdogs against the Suns.

The Kings’ ATS record for the season is 21-18, including a 12-7 record on the road. This is 6th in the Western Conference standings, and they have a 23-16 overall record.

So far, Sacramento has gone 19-19-1 on the O/U for the season. In their games this year, the average over/under line has been 235.9 points, which is lower than today’s line of 243.

In their last game, the Kings lost to the Bucks by a score of 143-142. The O/U line for that game was 245.5, and Sacramento covered the spread as 4-point underdogs.

Overall, the Kings are 2nd in the Pacific Division and 5th in the Western Conference. Against other Western Conference teams, they are 15-12 compared to 8-4 in non-conference games.

The Suns are currently 8th in the Western Conference with a record of 21-18. In the Pacific Division, they are in 3rd place. Against other Western Conference teams, they are 14-14 and 7-4 in non-conference games.

Phoenix has won their last two games and is favored by 5 points today. As the favorite, they are 18-10 this season and have gone 10-18 ATS as the favorite. In their last three games as the favorite, they have covered the spread.

On average, the Suns’ games have scored 230.2 points per game, which is lower than today’s O/U line of 243. This season, their games have averaged an over/under line of 229.7, and their O/U record is 22-17.

In their most recent game, the Suns beat the Trail Blazers by a score of 127-116. The O/U line for that game was 234, and Phoenix was favored by 14.5 points. However, they did not cover the spread.

The Historicals

The ATS record across the previous 5 head-to-head meetings is 4-1 in favor of the Kings. In these matchups, Sacramento has averaged 121 points per game, while allowing 115. In these contests, they averaged a combined 236 points per game, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Analysis

This season, the Kings are 8th in the league in scoring at 118.2 points per game. However, their scoring average drops to 114.9 points per game on the road. In terms of pace, Sacramento is 8th in the NBA at 100.3 possessions per game.

When it comes to shooting, the Kings are 14th in field goal percentage at 47%. Inside the arc, Sacramento is 6th in the league with a two-point shooting percentage of 56%. From beyond the arc, the Kings are 3rd in three-point attempts and have made an average of 15 threes per game.

So far, the Kings have outscored the NBA average in 64.1% of their games. In terms of free throws, Sacramento is 26th in both attempts and makes. On the offensive glass, the Kings are 16th in the league with an average of 10.9 offensive rebounds per game. Finally, Sacramento is 5th in the NBA in assists at 28.8 per game.

As they prepare for the upcoming game, the Kings is focused on shoring up their defense, as they are currently allowing an average of 117.7 points per game (21st). Inside the arc, the Kings defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 54.6% and 38.5% from three-point territory.

At home, the Suns are scoring 116.9 points per game, which is 12th in the NBA. Overall, they are 14th in scoring at 115.8 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage, Phoenix is 9th at 48%. In terms of pace, they are 25th in the league.

So far this season, the Suns have outscored the NBA scoring average in 48.7% of their games. In terms of two-point shooting, they are 14th at 54%. From three-point range, Phoenix is 11th in shooting percentage at 37%.

In terms of free throws, the Suns are 2nd in the NBA in made free throws per game at 21.4. They are also 4th in free throw attempts at 26.1 per game. In terms of offensive rebounds, Phoenix is 18th in the league.

Coming into the game, the Suns defense has held opposing team’s to fewer points than the league average in 38.5% of their games. Currently, they are 15th in the NBA at 114.4 points per game allowed. On two point field goal attempts, the Suns’ defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 53.4% and allowing 37.1% from beyond the arc.

Betting Trends

• Although Sacramento has a straight-up record of 6-4 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 7-3. The team averaged 117 points per game in these games.
• Through their last five home contests, the Suns offense has averaged 119 points per game while allowing an average of 119. Phoenix posted an overall record of 3-2 while going 2-3 ATS.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Kings have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.
• Although the Suns have a strong straight up record in their last three games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the spread going 1-2.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

The Kings are coming off a a heart-breaking loss to Milwaukee on Sunday, but hung right with the Bucks on the road. Coming in as 5-point underdogs, I like the Kings to cover the spread vs. a Suns team that will struggle to defend this fast-paced Kings squad.