Update: Brown and White have both been ruled out for the Celtics. The Kings aren’t resting anyone who isn’t already out. The Celtics are now 9-point favorites and the total is sitting at 226. I’ll take the Kings +9 as the ATS pick and the under on the total with the latest injury update.
The Sacramento Kings (44-32) will look to get back to winning ways on the second night of a back-to-back set when they visit the Boston Celtics (60-16) Friday evening. The Celtics have already clinched the best record in the league but will likely wait until the final week of the season to actually rest players. Boston smoked Sacramento 144-119 in the first meeting between these teams this season.
We’ll see if the Kings rest anyone on the second night of a back-to-back, but that feels unlikely given how tight the standings in the West are. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White have both been listed as questionable for the Celtics.
The Celtics are 10-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total coming in at 226. Boston is -485 on the moneyline while Sacramento is +370.
Kings vs. Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Kings +10
The Kings are 4-9 ATS on the second night of a back-to-back set and 9-12 ATS when playing with a rest disadvantage. Even though Sacramento is 15-10 ATS as an underdog, it’s hard to go against the other trends. The Celtics are 31-26-2 ATS after a win and 14-11-1 ATS with a rest advantage.
This is likely against my better judgement as Boston is coming off a huge win over Oklahoma City but I think a double-digit spread is just too much to cover. The Celtics are 4-4 ATS in the last eight games where they were double-digit favorites, but the four successful covers were against the likes of the Wizards, Pistons and a depleted Thunder team. I think the Kings can keep pace and cover Friday.
Over/Under: Under 226
The Kings are 5-8 to the over on the second night of a back-to-back but 11-10 to the over when playing with a rest disadvantage. They do struggle to score on the road though, going 14-22-2 to the over away from Golden 1 Center. The Celtics are 18-18 to the over as the home side and even though the last meeting went well over this number, I think the under hits tonight.