The push to the NBA Playoffs is really starting to heat up, and there is a big game set to take place on Thursday night. Both conferences have some great races taking place, and the Sacramento Kings visit the New York Knicks for what should be a great game.
Sacramento is coming into Thursday night with an overall record of 44-31, and they have also won two straight games. The Kings are currently in 7th place in the Western Conference and they are looking to move up.
New York comes into this game with a record of 44-31 as well, but this team is heading in the wrong direction. The Knicks are currently sitting in 5th place in the East, and they are hoping to stay right there.
The Knicks are slim 3.5-point betting favorites in this game, and the over/under for this game is set at 215.5 total points.
Kings Dealing with Injuries
The Sacramento Kings will be playing this game without Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk, and that is really going to hurt their offensive attack. Sacramento comes into this game scoring 117 points per game, but this team will struggle in this matchup.
De’Aaron Fox is going to need to have a big game for the Kings to win this game and he is scoring 26.3 points per game. The Kings will take a ton of quick shots in this game, and they will need to shoot well to win this matchup.
Sacramento has not been a great defensive team this season, but they will need to get better on that end of the floor as the season moves along.
Knicks Playing Some Defense
The New York Knicks are one of the best defensive teams in the league this season, and they have been playing much better of late. New York is scoring just 112 points per game, and it’s imperative that they set the tone on defense.
Jalen Brunson is scoring 27.8 points per game this season, and he is also dishing out 6.6 assists per game. Brunson will set the tone in this matchup, but his teammates are also going to have to step up.
This Knicks team just hasn’t been great on offense, and that will be something to watch in this matchup.
Knicks Take Care of Business
Home court advantage isn’t that big of a deal when it comes to the NBA, but that is going to help determine the winner in this matchup. The Knicks already beat the Kings in Sacramento earlier this month, and they should have a repeat performance in this game.
Sacramento is dealing with some injuries that have really impacted their play, and they just won’t have the horses to win this game. The Kings will keep this game close, but they are going to fall apart in the fourth quarter.
Bet on the New York Knicks at -3.5 as they are going to win this game and cover the spread by putting together a dominant defensive effort.
