The Oklahoma City Thunder have actually been better on the road than at home of late and they make their second and final trip of the season to the capital of California on Wednesday night to take on the Sacramento Kings. What’s the smart bet on the NBA odds?
How to Bet Thunder vs Kings 2020 NBA Odds, Game Preview & Pick
- When: Wednesday, 10 PM ET
- Where: Golden 1 Center
- TV: NBA League Pass
- Stream: NBA League Pass
- Radio: Oklahoma City / Sacramento
- NBA Odds: Sacramento -1
Season Series
The Kings lead 1-0, winning 94-93 on Dec. 11 in Sacramento. Trailing 86-75 with 7:14 to go, the Kings would tie it at 89. The Thunder would be back up 93-91 when Bogdan Bogdanovic made a go-ahead 3-point with 17 seconds to go that would prove the winner. Kings guard Buddy Hield scored a team-high 23 points while Bogdanovic added 17 points off the bench. Thunder guard Dennis Schroder totaled 17 points while Chris Paul notched eight points, 12 assists and seven rebounds.
The Kings have won three in a row overall in the series.
Why Bet on Oklahoma City?
The Thunder (28-20) had a five-game winning streak snapped Monday in a 107-97 home loss to Dallas. The Mavs controlled most of the game. The Mavericks led 59-47 at halftime and pushed the lead to 70-54 before the Thunder went on an 11-0 run. Dallas regained control and led 88-77 at the end of the third quarter. The Mavericks led by at least 10 points the entire fourth quarter. The Thunder scored zero points off the Mavericks’ nine turnovers.
Chris Paul didn’t play because he was grieving the loss of Kobe Bryant. Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had been the only Thunder players to start every game this season. In 47 games, Paul averages 17.2 points, 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds. He’ll surely be back in there for this one.
Dennis Schroder made his first start of the season on Monday, scoring 21 points with seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block. This month, Schroder is averaging 19.9 points and 4.5 assists. Nerlens Noel played with a mask after having surgery for a fractured cheek over the weekend. He had nine points and eight rebounds. Danilo Gallinari (thumb) returned from a one-game absence vs. the Mavericks, scoring 14 points on 4-of-12 shots with six assists and five rebounds.
Since Thanksgiving Day (11/28), Oklahoma City have earned the third-best record among all NBA teams during that time span behind Milwaukee and Utah. Since the start of December, the Thunder have gone 12-3 on the road, which is good for the second-best road record in the NBA during that span. Oklahoma City currently holds a five-game win streak away from Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 110.33
- Field Goals: 47.06%
- Three Points: 35.31%
- Free Throws: 80.14%
- Rebounds: 43.38
- Average Score Against: 108.06
- Field Goals: 45.26%
- Three Points: 34.52%
- Free Throws: 79.34%
- Rebounds: 44.44
Why Bet on Sacramento?
The Kings won their second in a row Monday, 133-129 in overtime at Minnesota to conclude a five-game road trip. Sacramento trailed by 17 with 2:49 left. Entering Monday, NBA teams were 0-8,378 since 1996-97 when trailing by 17 or more in the final 3 minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. With the Kings down three with 4.7 seconds left in regulation, De’Aaron Fox made his first free throw. He intentionally fired the second off the front of the rim, grabbed his own rebound and laid it in to tie the game with 3.6 seconds left.
Fox finished with 22 points. The third-year guard is averaging 22.2 points, 7.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game in 12 games during January. Fox is 10th in the NBA in assists per game and fourth in steals per game during January.
Buddy Hield went off for 42 points with five rebounds and three assists. Hield scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, shooting 6-of-6 from the field. Only one other player in the last 20 years has scored 20 points or more on perfect shooting from the field in the fourth quarter of a comeback win after his team trailed by 25 points: Kobe Bryant (December 6, 2002 vs. Dallas).
Nemanja Bjelica finished Monday’s win in Minnesota with 20 points (7-of-17 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), nine rebounds and eight assists. Bjelica once again benefitted from the absence of Marvin Bagley (left foot). Not yet clear if Bagley will play here. Fellow big man Richaun Holmes missed his ninth in a row with a shoulder injury.
Sacramento ranks second in opponent fast break points per game, limiting their opposition to 11.4 fast break points per contest and third in opponent second chance points per game (11.6).
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 107.13
- Field Goals: 45.44%
- Three Points: 35.43%
- Free Throws: 77.09%
- Rebounds: 42.57
- Average Score Against: 110.22
- Field Goals: 46.77%
- Three Points: 34.86%
- Free Throws: 79.74%
- Rebounds: 43.74
NBA Betting Trends for Thunder vs Kings
- Oklahoma City are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oklahoma City’s last 10 games.
- Sacramento are 6-13-1 ATS in their last 20 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Sacramento’s last 8 games.
Thunder vs Kings Expert NBA Prediction
Thunder 109, Kings 104
