NBA Betting Odds: Cleveland At Sacramento

Superstitious types will be spending this coming Friday locked in the safety of their own homes, safe in the knowledge that the bad luck of Friday the 13th won’t be able to reach them. It is of course all a lot of nonsense, as we bettors know that we make our own luck by looking at all the games on the schedule with a critical eye, no matter what date they fall on. The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t needed much luck since the return of King James, as they came into this season as the defending NBA champions. They have, so far at least, followed a very similar path to that which they took last season, which is to be a little up and down in regular season play. This Friday will see the Cavs go on the road to face a Sacramento Kings team that is better than they have been in quite some time, but who still need to get wins if they are to break into the top 8 in the Western Conference.

Here’s A Closer Look At The NBA Betting Odds: Cleveland At Sacramento

When: Friday, December 13 at 10:30 PM EST Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento TV: ESPN Radio: WMGC and KHTK NBA Odds: TBA    

Why bet on the Cleveland Cavaliers

As was the case last season, the Cavaliers have looked a little lethargic when playing on the road, and while they still have a winning 10-7 record away from home, it’s not the sort of pace you would expect from a champion. This is a team that at times looks very bored with the drudgery of the regular season, and it’s almost as though they do just enough to maintain their top spot in the conference while they wait for the postseason to roll around. The Cavaliers are actually on a 2-game losing skid at the moment, and you have to go all the way back to the start of the season to find the last time that they lost 3 in a row. Cleveland Cavaliers took both games from Sacramento last year, and have won 4 of the last 5 meetings.

Why bet on the Sacramento Kings

While this has been a better year for the Kings so far, it’s still worth remembering that they are still 6 games below .500. That said, they are within a half game of the final playoff spot, and while that would likely mean a first round pounding at the hands of the Warriors, just getting there would be considered an achievement. The Kings have a losing record on home court, and they have not fared well against teams with winning records, going 5-13 against that group so far. They look to be in over their heads in this one, but they may be able to surprise a Cleveland team that is in a funk right now.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

While I think that the cavaliers will win this one, I’m not totally convinced that it will be a huge margin of victory. This may be closer than a lot of people expect.

Cleveland Cavaliers 105 Sacramento Kings 101