The Houston Rockets will end a six-game NBA slate in a matchup against the Sacramento Kings at 10 p.m. ET.
This is the second matchup between these two Western Conference opponents this season. The first resulted in a Rockets 121-95 victory, taking place on Dec. 3.
The Rockets enter as 11.5-point favorites and hold -625 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Kings are +455 underdogs with the game total set at O/U 223.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Sunday night matchup.
Rockets vs. Kings preview
The Houston Rockets are 17-8, which slots them in fifth place in the Western Conference. Tonight will mark the second half of a back-to-back after they defeated the Denver Nuggets 115-101 last night. Houston is 15-10 against the spread this year, and the over is 15-9-1 in its matchups.
Houston made the win-now move to bring in Kevin Durant this summer, and he’s answered the call as the team’s score-first option. The 15-time All-Star is averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists, while shooting 44.3% from beyond the three-point arc. Alperen Sengun has taken a notable step forward in his development, posting averages of 23 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists. Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason are also developing, with each showing some impressive flashes thus far.
The Rockets are scoring 120.9 points per game, which ranks third in the league. They are producing the second-best offensive rating, rank fifth in field goal percentage, second in three-point percentage, and lead the league in rebounds per game. Defensively, opponents are scoring 111.6 points per game. This ranks third in the league, and Houston ranks sixth in defensive rating, seventh in opponents’ field goal percentage and seventh in opponents’ three-point percentage.
The Kings enter with a much different outlook on the year. Sacramento is 6-22 and has dropped to 15th place in the Western Conference. This ties the Pacers for the second-worst record in the league, ahead of only the Washington Wizards. The Kings are on a five-game losing streak and have dropped nine of their last 10. They’re 9-19 against the spread, and the under has cashed in 16 of 28 games.
Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and Drew Eubanks remain sidelined with their injuries. Malik Monk also did not see the floor in back-to-back games due to a coach’s decision, bringing into question his role moving forward. DeMar DeRozan leads the production of the available players, averaging 18.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Keegan Murray, Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder and rookie Maxime Raynaud are also averaging in double figures this year.
Sacramento is averaging 111 points per game, which ranks 27th in the league. It ranks last in offensive rating, 19th in team field goal percentage, 20th in three-point percentage and 29th in rebounds per game. Opponents are scoring 121.9 points per game against the Kings, which ranks 26th in the league. The Kings rank 27th in defensive rating, 30th in opponents’ field goal percentage and 10th in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Rockets vs. Kings prediction, best Bet
The gap between these two teams is even more notable than the 11.5-point spread indicates. Both of these teams are playing on the second half of a back-to-back, so there is no rest advantage in either direction. Houston produced a 121-95 victory in the first matchup, so there is little reason to believe tonight will be different.
During the first meeting, the Rockets out-rebounded the Kings 62-32 and scored 78 points in the paint. With Sabonis still out, expect no different. Sengun and Steven Adams should assert themselves on the boards, and this will play a major role in this game. In addition, there isn’t a defensive answer for Durant’s scoring or Thompson’s athleticism. It would take an extreme outlier shooting performance from Sacramento to keep this game competitive.
