I can’t say this will be the best game of the night, but this has tons of betting opportunities. The Kings and Magic have both been struggling to find their footing. It doesn’t help that the Kings lost Fox in a trade, so this team is even more unpredictable. That’s where the value is, though; this game has loads of interesting lines, considering the shake-up!
Jalen Suggs Doubtful
Zach LaVine Out
These are two rosters going through change-ups. With tomorrow's trade deadline, some players might not even be on the same team in 24 hours. De’Aaron Fox has already been moved to San Antonio in a deal, and the Kings have landed Zach LaVine and some picks. Their haul might not be impressive, but it keeps the team somewhat competitive.
LaVine won’t be available for tonight’s game, so this matchup gets even more messy. The Kings were already short-handed, but now they’ll entirely rely on the remaining starters. Malik Monk will likely have to pick up most of the PG duties tonight, with DeMar DeRozan taking over as the primary scorer. It’s hard to know what to expect from these guys now, but I feel confident about Monk tonight.
On the other hand, Orlando has been struggling for entirely different reasons. Even after getting Paolo and Franz back from injuries, this team can’t score. They’re near the bottom of the league in FG% and 3%. Without any consistent scoring, they have been slumping. They have lost nine of their last ten games, falling hard in the Eastern Conference from their lofty start.
Tonight’s matchup between the two is intriguing. The talent between these teams feels similar, with the Magic having a dominant advantage on defense. However, if Sacramento hits from deep, the Magic will struggle to keep up. Sabonis might be the most significant factor in the entire matchup. His ability to clean the glass and protect the paint will be critical. If he can keep Paola under check tonight, the Kings have a strong chance of taking this one.
Overall, the Kings are my pick to take the game. The fact they have three guys who can score and shoot will likely be too much. The Magic haven’t shown any ability to win games in their current form. Unless Paolo or Franz hit more consistently tonight, I could see the Kings win this handily.
Money line: ORL (+180) / SAC (-218)
Total Points: 218.5
Spread: +5.5 ORL (-110) / -5.5 SAC (-110)
This line comes down entirely to offense. Sacramento has it, and Orlando doesn’t. The Kings have too many solid scoring options the Magic won’t be able to keep up. Even with the line in the minus 200s, it’s not too bad, considering the last ten games of the Magic.
With Orlando playing, this game won’t be very scoring. Expect the Kings to have solid numbers, but we might not see the Magic hit 100. They haven’t hit it in their last three games, so the under feels fairly solid tonight.
Even though the Kings have the better offense, this game could still stay close. They have been playing solid defense, and with the Kings going through flux, it could slow them down. The Orlando line is a solid hedge on Orlando not being a total disaster.
Monk has taken over as the primary ball handler for the Kings. With Jalen Suggs out, the Magic don’t have the best backcourt to stop him from attacking the rim. He’ll likely have to make some of his threes to hit this line, but considering he had 26 in their last game against the Timberwolves, this is very doable.
Even though Sabonis has been one of the best rebounders in the league this year, he might struggle to reach 15 with so many large bodies around him. The only fear about this line is that Orlando misses so many shots that more boards might be available than usual.
With Paola moving the ball well recently, his assist lines continue to go up. Averaging 4.6 assists a game, this line feels like a coin flip. With the plus odds, it feels solid.
Franz’s defense continues to be great this year. He’s averaging 1.5 steals per game. Considering how thin the Kings are, we might see a bit more of their bench tonight. That could be the perfect opportunity for Franz to pick up a couple of easy steals.