The San Antonio Spurs (32-19), the leagues top scoring defense, will square off against the Sacramento Kings (15-33) at AT&T Center. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 193 points with San Antonio set as a 10.5-point favorite. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 28, 2018, and it can be seen on NBC Sports – California.
Sacramento Kings at San Antonio Spurs ATS Preview
The last time the Kings played, they barely escaped the Miami Heat, 89-88. Buddy Hield was the games high scorer with 24 points on 10-for-15 shooting. Sacramento’s 0.500 effective field goal percentage was their largest advantage over Miami, who had a mark of 0.451. The Kings mark was below their season average of 0.502, while the Heat’s was below their season average of 0.525.
The Spurs are trying to rebound after their 97-78 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in their last game. With 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists, San Antonio’s Dejounte Murray had a solid performance. Philadelphia held the Spurs to an offensive rebounding percentage of 11.6 (below their season average of 23.2). San Antonio, meanwhile, did a great job of making free throws (15-18; 83.3 percent).
Half-court execution will be critical when two of the NBA’s slowest-paced teams go head-to-head. San Antonio ranks 29th in possessions per game (95.9) and Sacramento is 25th (97.1). Also, the 30th-ranked offense of the Kings (offensive efficiency of 100.8) will face a difficult test against the second-ranked defense of the Spurs (defensive efficiency of 101.4).
Of Sacramento’s 48 games, 24 have finished over the O/U total, while 30 of San Antonio’s 51 games have finished under the O/U total. The Spurs hold a significant advantage in both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 32-19 SU and 26-21-4 ATS, while the Kings are 15-33 SU and 20-25-3 ATS.
These two teams have met twice already this year, with the Spurs winning both. LaMarcus Aldridge scored a game-high 31 points in the most recent game, in which the Spurs defeated the Kings 107-100, covering as 5-point favorites. He also put up 12 rebounds. The two teams combined for 207 points, which was 7.5 points above the projected point total of 199.5 points. San Antonio had a much better turnover percentage (9.5 vs. 16.8). Sacramento, meanwhile, did a fantastic job of making free throws (12-16; 75.0 percent).
Sacramento Kings vs. San Antonio Spurs Betting Prediction
Free NBA Pick: SU Winner – Spurs, ATS Winner – Kings, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Kings average 8.3 steals per game, which ranks eighth in the league. The Spurs rank 18th in steals allowed per game (7.9).
- San Antonio ranks 20th in assists per game (22.1) while Sacramento ranks 28th (20.9).
- On the road, Sacramento is 11-13-3 ATS with 14 unders, 12 overs and 1 push.
- At home, San Antonio is 16-7-1 ATS with 12 overs and 12 unders.
- San Antonio is 21-10 when they allow under 100 points, while Sacramento is 10-4.
- The Spurs are 25-3 when they score more than 100 points, while the Kings are 10-11.
- The Spurs rank 21st in fast break points per game (9.9) while the Kings rank 25th (9.4).
- San Antonio ranks fifth in three pointers allowed per game (26.0) while Sacramento ranks 28th (31.5).
- The Spurs rank third in blocks per game (5.5) while the Kings rank 23rd (4.1).
- San Antonio ranks 11th in rebounds per game (44.3) while Sacramento ranks 29th (40.3).
Betting Trends:
- San Antonio is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Sacramento is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Spurs average margin of victory in their last five games has been 1.0, down from 3.2 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Kings have scored an average of 98.8 points per game (1.0 above their season average) and allowed an average of 105.0 points per game (1.4 below their season average).
