Tipping off at 8:00 p.m. ET during tonight’s seven-game NBA Halloween slate, the Sacramento Kings will face off with the Memphis Grizzlies.
These teams sit on opposite ends of the Western Conference standings early in the season. The Sacramento Kings are still searching for their first win of the year, while the Memphis Grizzlies look to remain undefeated through their first five games. This will also be the second meeting between these teams in the early stages of the season.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s matchup, the Grizzlies enter as 8.5-point favorites with -375 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Kings hold +295 odds to pull off the outright win, with the game total set at 230.5 points.
Kings vs. Grizzlies Preview
The Sacramento Kings enter with an 0-5 record, having dropped matchups at the hands of the Clippers, Trail Blazers, Grizzlies, Spurs, and Pelicans. Sacramento is just 1-4 against the spread and has failed to cover the spread in three consecutive matchups. The game total has gone over in four of the five games, including each of the past four games.
Darius Acuff Jr. has been a major bright spot to start the year. The seventh-overall pick is averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game while leading the NBA with 23.8 field goal attempts per game. Zach LaVine is the only other player on the roster averaging more points, posting 26.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per contest. Domantas Sabonis adds 17.0 points and an NBA-leading 16.2 rebounds per game, along with a team-high 7.2 assists. Precious Achiuwa and De’Andre Hunter are also averaging double figures in scoring. Keegan Murray, Dylan Cardwell, Maxime Raynaud, and Ben Simmons will be sidelined, while Sean Pedulla is unavailable.
The team metrics are not much more promising than the Kings’ raw record. Sacramento ranks 23rd in the league in scoring with 110.2 points per game, while ranking 27th in offensive rating. They also rank 26th in three-point percentage, 26th in rebounds per game, and 25th in assists. Defensively, opponents are scoring 126.8 points per game against the Kings, which ranks 29th in the NBA. Sacramento also ranks 29th in defensive rating, 30th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 23rd in opponents’ three-point percentage.
The Memphis Grizzlies have been one of the more pleasant surprises to start the NBA season. They are off to a 5-0 start, with victories over the Jazz twice, the Warriors, the Kings, and the Trail Blazers. Memphis is a perfect 5-0 against the spread, while the game total has stayed under in four of its five contests.
Third-overall pick Cameron Boozer has made a strong impact to start his rookie season. The Duke product is averaging 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game through his first five NBA appearances. Ty Jerome has also delivered some impressive scoring performances, averaging 25.8 points and 5.6 assists per contest. Jerome is officially listed as questionable with upper back soreness, although he has not missed a game yet this season. Scotty Pippen Jr. is also questionable, while Quinten Post is doubtful. Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward are averaging double figures in scoring, while Isaiah Stewart, Cam Spencer, Jerami Grant, and Zach Edey also play notable roles.
As a team, the Grizzlies are averaging 118.2 points per game, which ranks ninth in the NBA. They also rank fifth in offensive rating, 18th in field goal percentage, first in three-point percentage, and lead the NBA in rebounds per game. Defensively, opponents are scoring 106.2 points per game against Memphis, which ranks sixth in the league. The Grizzlies also rank sixth in defensive rating, sixth in opponents’ field goal percentage, and fourth in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Kings vs. Grizzlies Pick, Best Bet
During the first matchup between these two sides, the Grizzlies cruised to a 123-112 victory in Sacramento. Memphis extended the lead to as many as 14 points and held control for 84% of the matchup. They won the rebounding battle 56-44 and limited the Kings to 22 fourth-quarter points to secure the victory.
The action now shifts to Memphis for the second meeting between these teams this season. My lean is toward the Grizzlies maintaining their strong start and covering the 8.5-point spread to remain undefeated. However, I’m backing the game total to go over 230.5 points as my best bet for Saturday night.
The first matchup finished with 235 total points, clearing the 230.5-point threshold. This is the lone time a Grizzlies game has gone over the total so far this season. Memphis managed to reach 123 points despite shooting 43.8% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range. Sacramento shot 46.8% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, making just 7-of-23 attempts. The Kings also left points at the free-throw line, converting 16-of-25 attempts.
Sacramento has made a strong case as one of the league’s worst defensive teams and has struggled to contain opposing offenses. Acuff and LaVine are both capable of getting red-hot, and the pair combined for 59 points in the first matchup, but both give plenty of baskets back on the other side of the court at a high rate due to their poor defense. Memphis’ offense has been far more cohesive than most expected to start the year, scoring 110+ points in each game and ranking fifth in offensive rating.
Both sides left some points on the table in the first matchup but still had no issue clearing the game total. Expect each offense to fire at a higher gear and for points to come easy in this matchup. Count on the 230.5 line to be too low given the context of this matchup, and for this pair of Western Conference opponents to surpass this for the second time this season.
