Just two seasons after breaking their playoff drought in dramatic fashion by earning the third seed in the Western Conference, the Sacramento Kings’ wheels are quickly coming off the bus. Sacramento is just 13-17, in 12th in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, and point guard De’Aaron Fox seems to have one foot on a plane to Texas, where the San Antonio Spurs have made no secret of their desire to pair him with Victor Wembanyama.
But for now, Fox is still a King, where he’s been everything the franchise could’ve asked for since it drafted him fifth overall in 2017. He’s made one All-NBA team and won the NBA’s inaugural Clutch Player of the Year trophy in 2022-23. This season, he’s averaging 26.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game.
Tonight, Fox and the Kings will welcome the Detroit Pistons to California’s capital for a 10 p.m. ET clash. The Pistons are also 13-17, although they’re coming off of two straight wins.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Sacramento (-218) is a clear favorite and the point total is set to 226.5, although both of those numbers may change if Kings center Domantas Sabonis, who has been dealing with an illness and missed shootaround this morning, is unable to play. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bets centered around Fox.
Best De’Aaron Fox Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
De’Aaron Fox O25.5 Points (-120)
Detroit has been the worst franchise in the NBA over the last several seasons, winning just 94 games between the 2019-20 and 2023-24 seasons, 49 games worse than the San Antonio Spurs. But the Pistons have started to turn it around this year behind All-Star level play from point guard Cade Cunningham.
Prior to picking up back-to-back wins against the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers, though, Detroit had been mired in a slump exacerbated by a leaky defense. Even after beating the two Pacific Division teams, the Pistons have still allowed 119.8 points per game over its last 10 games, more than all but four teams across that span. Both members of Detroit’s starting backcourt, Cunningham and 2022 lottery pick Jaden Ivey, are minus defenders, and arguably the team’s best perimeter defender, small forward Ausar Thompson, is so bad on offense he’s virtually unplayable.
Fox’s offensive ceiling climbs even higher if Sabonis is unable to play. Although the Lithuanian is one of the most durable players in basketball, having missed just five games over the last two-plus seasons, Fox has excelled in his absence. In the two games that Sabonis has missed this season, Fox has averaged 38.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game.
De’Aaron Fox 3+ Steals (+300)
If you’re looking for a long-shot with friendly odds, let’s go with a fun one that would result in a little bit of history-making.
Nothing epitomizes the Kings’ struggles in recent years than the fact that Fox is just three steals away from tying Doug Christie for the second-most steals in franchise history (717). Christie, a four-time All-Defensive honoree, racked up his 717 steals in just four-plus seasons with the team, averaging 2.0 steals per game across that span. Meanwhile, Swipa has averaged 1.4 steals per game for his career, leading the league with 2.0 steals per game in 2023-24.
It’s not exactly out of the realm of possibility for Fox to tie or even pass Christie tonight. This season, he’s fifth in the NBA with 3.7 deflections per game and 14th with 1.6 steals per game. Plus, the Pistons allow 9.8 steals per game, the third-most in the league, and Cunningham ranks third in the league with 4.5 turnovers per game. Fox has recorded three or more steals six times this season, most recently against the Lakers on December 19.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
