The New Orleans Pelicans play host to the Sacramento Kings at the Smoothie King Center on Friday night. Here’s a Kings vs Pelicans prediction.
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings come into this meeting full of confidence after making light work of the Warriors in a dominant 118-94 home win on Tuesday. Keegan Murray led the team with 32 points and nine rebounds, De’Aaron Fox added 24 points with six assists while Domantas Sabonis tallied 16 points with 12 rebounds and seven assists. As a team, the Kings shot just 43 percent from the field and 18 of 39 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with their defense, holding the Warriors to just 22 points in the first quarter to take the early lead, before they dominated the second half by 64-44 to make it a complete blowout win in the end. The Kings probably would’ve wanted more production from their bench who combined for just 14 points, but given that the playoffs are just around the corner, the Kings opted to play their starters heavy minutes.
New Orleans Pelicans
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans are looking to bounce back in this game after coming up just short to the Lakers in a disappointing 110-106 loss on Tuesday. Zion Williamson led the team with 40 points, 11 rebounds and five assists on 17 of 27 shooting but he just didn’t receive enough support as Trey Murphy scored just 12 points in 31 minutes off the bench, CJ McCollum scored just nine points on four of 15 shooting while Jonas Valanciunas sccored just four points on one of seven shooting. As a team, the Pelicans shot 46 percent from the field and nine of 30 from the 3-point line as they worked hard to claw their way back from an early 18-point deficit, only to see the Lakers close the final 1:23 on an 11-7 run to slip away in the end.
New Orleans Pelicans Team Facts
- The road team has won each of the Pelicans’ last 10 games.
- The underdogs have covered the spread in each of the Pelicans’ last nine games.
- Six of the Pelicans’ last seven games as home underdogs have gone UNDER the total points line.
Sacramento Kings Team Facts
- The underdogs have won each of the Kings’ last four games at Smoothie King Center.
- The Kings have failed to cover the spread in each of their last eight games against Southwest Division opponents.
- Each of the Kings’ last six road games against Southwest Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Kings vs Pelicans prediction
The Kings are still a little shorthanded with Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter both out, while the Pelicans are going to be without Zion Williamson, who suffered a hamstring strain in Tuesday’s loss. The Pelicans would’ve been favorites at home if Williamson was healthy, but now they are going to have to adjust on the fly in a must-win game. The Pelicans swept the Kings 5-0 in the regular season series, but the Kings have the momentum and I think they can come away with the narrow win and cover to move on.