Opening night rolls on across the NBA, capping off with a Pacific Division clash in Hollywood. Both the Kings and Clippers are in the midst of a rebuild, looking towards the future more than the present. Still, the Western Conference is a bit top-heavy, at least on paper. Snagging a spot in the play-in isn’t unrealistic for either of these clubs heading into the new year. Which of these two teams will start their season off with a win?
The Clippers enter tonight’s matchup as 4.5-point favorites, with the total set at 227.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Below is my full preview, prediction and best bet for Wednesday’s Sacramento vs. Los Angeles contest.
Kings vs. Clippers prediction, preview
There isn’t much optimism in Sacramento, at least in terms of contending. Fresh off the heels of a 22-win campaign, Kings fans shouldn’t expect a massive rise up the standings. After all, the team finished with a Western Conference-worst -10.1 net rating last season. With that being said, there’s far more reason to tune in this season. For starters, three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis appears to have recovered from last year’s torn meniscus injury. When healthy, the big man is a walking double-double machine. Fellow veterans Zach LaVine and Malik Monk provide plenty of scoring as well, albeit not much else.
The other reason for excitement in SacTown is none other than Darius Acuff Jr. Selected seventh overall during this summer’s NBA Draft, the former Arkansas guard has Rookie of the Year potential. He’ll have ample opportunity to display his talent, coming into the year as a locked-in starter. Although there are other mouths to feed, the 19-year-old should be the primary offensive hub in Sacramento. Granted, there are very real questions about Acuff’s defensive effort. However, that’s secondary when compared to his massive upside on the other end of the floor. Last season with the Razorbacks, he averaged an SEC-best 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game.
Unfortunately for the Kings, injuries are already wreaking havoc. Offseason pickup Ben Simmons (Achilles) is done for the year, while big men Dylan Cardwell (calf) and Maxime Raynaud (knee) are missing tonight’s game. Even Monk (ankle) might not take the floor; he’s listed as questionable.
This offseason was interesting to say the least for the Clippers. A salary cap circumvention scandal involving the now-departed Kawhi Leonard stripped LA of several assets, including five future first round picks. At this point, the outlook for Los Angeles’ future is bleak at best. With that being said, all hopes is not lost. Former All-Star Darius Garland could emerge as the team’s newest face of the franchise. After coming over to the team during last season’s James Harden trade, he averaged 19.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists to go with 47/44/86 shooting splits.
Garland isn’t the only guard worth mentioning at the Intuit Dome. Fifth overall pick Keaton Wagler could be a difference maker as well, if his time at Illinois is any indicator. Unfortunately for LA, the rest of this roster could use some work. Brandon Ingram (Achilles), acquired as part of the return from Toronto during the Leonard trade, is out tonight. Ditto for veteran shooters Bradley Beal (knee) and Max Strus (foot). Rui Hachimura was a decent addition from the crosstown Lakers, but it’s difficult to pinpoint any other capable scorers on the active roster. Los Angeles scored the association’s seventh-fewest points per game last season (113.8), and that was with Leonard in tow. An even worse showing on that side of the ball this season feels likelier than not.
Best Bet: Kings ML (+154)
For the first (and potentially last) time this season, I’m backing the Kings to earn an upset win. Neither of these squads possess significant upside, and both are dealing with injury issues at the moment. However, there’s no denying that the Kings offer up a more talented starting five. Sabonis alone should do damage against an undersized LA front court. Elsewhere, middling defenders Garland and Wagler could struggle to get stops against the dynamic Acuff. In this matchup between two evenly-matched clubs, I’d rather take the underdogs at plus money.
