Update: Everyone is in for the Kings, while Murray and Caldwell-Pope have both been ruled out for the Nuggets. The line is now Nuggets -5.5 and the total comes in at 228.5. I still like Denver as the ATS pick and the under on the total, although I’m less confident about the total pick given Sacramento’s ability to generate points. The Kings usually haven’t done well on back-to-back sets but they know they have an extended break coming up.
Western Conference contenders square off Wednesday evening when the Sacramento Kings (30-23) meet the Denver Nuggets (36-18). The Kings have lost two in a row since beating the Nuggets last Friday, while Denver has dropped its last two. Sacramento won both previous head-to-head meetings between these sides.
Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are listed as questionable, but both are not expected to play. The Kings don’t have an official injury report yet since they’re on the second night of a back-to-back set but both Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox played big minutes. We’ll see if both suit up here.
The Nuggets are 5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook with the total sitting at 229.5. Denver is -205 on the moneyline while Sacramento is +170.
Kings vs. Nuggets, 9 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Nuggets -5
For now, I’m guessing the Kings give their stars an extended break with both Sabonis and Fox not taking part in the All-Star Game. Denver has had a poor track record against Sacramento this season the the Kings aren’t good on short rest anyway. Sacramento is 2-5 ATS on the second night of a back-to-back set and 6-8 ATS with a rest disadvantage. The Nuggets are 4-7-1 ATS with a rest advantage.
The Nuggets are 21-4 at home straight up and after a pair of losses on the road, I expect them to bounce back tonight. Take Denver to win and cover.
Over/Under: Under 229.5
The Kings have gone over their totals in six of the last seven games, with the lone miss being a push. The Nuggets have gone under their totals in three of the last five games, and had seven straight unders prior to that. If the Kings stars do suit up, I think the over is the play since both previous games have gone over this line. For now, I think either Sabonis or Fox doesn’t suit up and the game goes under this total.