Both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Sacramento Kings have a tall task ahead of them. As usual, the Western Conference is absolutely stacked, and it’s going to be a battle to get into the Play-In Tournament, let alone the playoffs. These two teams hope to be in the race this season, and preseason is a great way to gauge their chances.
The Trail Blazers are set as three-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. They’re priced at -310 on the Moneyline, while the Kings are +124 underdogs. The total for this game is set at 230 points. Let’s get into my preview, prediction, and pick for this Kings vs. Trail Blazers preseason game.
Trail Blazers vs. Kings prediction, preview
Both teams lost high-scoring matchups to begin their preseason. The Kings were taken down 130-122 by the Raptors despite a 44-point fourth quarter. The loss came with some encouraging performances, including some great run from their young group.
Sacramento has good talent, but doesn’t have the high-end elite talents that take you far. They’ll have to win with depth. Breakout performances from Devin Carter, Nique Clifford, or Maxime Raynaud would drastically change their outlook this season.
Portland also hopes for some breakout performances this season. The base of Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, and the newly acquired Jrue Holiday provide strong defensive coverage. But they need Scoot Henderson (when healthy) and Shaedon Sharpe to step up and fill their other guard spot and provide the offense. The latter sure looked capable in the first preseason game against the Warriors.
Will these players continue to show out on Friday? And who prevails?
Kings vs. Trail Blazers pick, best bet
In preseason basketball, depth is king. The Blazers found that out when the Warriors stormed back late in their first preseason game. Sacramento also fought back into its game against Toronto due to its depth. But, ultimately, Portland’s starting group should be significantly better than the Kings’ and carry the day.
