The October 30th NBA betting free pick has two teams in action that are a combined 1-7 to start the season. With numbers like that, it’s easy to assume that Charlotte visiting Sacramento will be a close game but oddsmakers are favoring the Kings by -7.5. This game also features two of the worst defensive teams in the league so far, but the total is set at a modest 223.5.
Charlotte Looking for Consistency After Offseason Overhaul
James Borrego knew his Charlotte team would struggle early, especially in the backcourt where they’ve had to replace not only Kemba Walker, but also Jeremy Lamb. The coach wasn’t wrong, but the Hornets are supposed to be getting better each game as they develop chemistry – not worse.
Since a 126-125 season opening win over what looks like a very bad Bulls team, the Hornets have suffered losses by 22, 19, and 15 points. Charlotte has gone 0-2 on the road losing by an average of 17 ppg mostly because the Hornets rely so much on the three pointer as 41% of their scoring comes from beyond the arc. Charlotte gets the 2nd fewest offensive rebounds in the league as well so if they aren’t hitting their shots, it’s one and done.
Of course the good news for the Hornets heading into the October 30th NBA betting free pick is that Sacramento isn’t exactly good either. This is a matchup between Charlotte’s 2nd worse defensive efficiency unit against Sacramento’s fourth worst. For the Hornets to cover the +7.5, or even push this total towards the ‘over’ they’ll need to find some offensive scoring consistency. The Hornets have been held to 101 points or less in three straight games and have a different leading scorer in each of their games this season.
Is This the Night for Sacramento?
The Luke Walton era hasn’t started off so well in Sacramento as the Kings are 0-4 to begin the year. The only difference between last year and this is that the Kings still give up a lot of points, but in 2019 they aren’t scoring any. This used to be a team that might lose 134-126 but now the Kings rank 27th in defensive efficiency, but dead last in points/per/game at 95.5.
The Kings burnt out last year after having one of the most hectic paces in the NBA. Walton has tried to slow the game down as Sacramento is 22nd in possessions – but that doesn’t work when you can’t shoot or play defense. The Kings are shooting 39.6% in the field, which is second to only the Magic for worst in the NBA. Opponents meanwhile are shooting 48.7% from the field which ranks 28th in the league. Does Charlotte have the offensive talent to exploit that though? The answer is probably not.
Maybe the October 30th NBA betting free pick is just an easy total play on the ‘under’. The Kings haven’t shot better than 40% from the field in any game this season, Sacramento’s offensive rating is just 94.3 (the Clippers lead at 119.1) and the ‘back court of the future) for the Kings (De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield) are averaging just 30.6 ppg combined. Marvin Bagley, Jr. being out until December with a thumb injury definitely doesn’t help the Kings situation here.
October 30th NBA Betting Free Pick
A team that cannot score or play defense probably shouldn’t be a 7.5 favorite. That being said, the only thing to cause concern over a Hornets and the points wager is that the line is indeed that high. 63% of the public does like the Kings though so this game is all over the map. Everybody is thinking shootout with two teams so poorly ranked in defensive efficiency, but the squads also rank in the bottom half of pace. The less possessions, the fewer chances to mess up on defense.
Pick: Hornets / Kings *Under*223
