James Looks To Stay Hot As Lakers Favored Over Kings

The Los Angeles Lakers (19-19 SU, 15-23 ATS) host the Sacramento Kings (16-22, 17-21) at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday in their third meeting of the season. Both teams come into the matchup with three wins in their last four games, while the season series is split at one game apiece.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Lakers opened as 7.5-point favorites at home with the total set at 232 points. The OVER 4-2 in the Lakers’ last six outings. Los Angeles is 1-4 ATS in its last five home contests while Sacramento is 1-5 ATS in its last six games on the road.

Sacramento News & Notes

The Kings beat the Miami Heat 115-113 on Sunday thanks to notable performances from Buddy Hield (26 points) and De’Aaron Fox (24 points).

With 6.2 seconds on the clock and the game tied at 113-113, Fox drew a foul from Tyler Herro, allowing the Kings point guard to drain two free throws. Jimmy Butler had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer but missed a layup attempt as the Kings took the win.

Sacramento will be without Richaun Holmes (health and safety protocols) for Tuesday’s game while Terence Davis (ankle) is questionable.

Los Angeles News & Notes

The Lakers picked up a 108-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last game on Sunday. LeBron James led all scorers with 26 points while Malik Monk and Russell Westbrook scored 22 and 20 points, respectively.

Los Angeles has been without star power forward Anthony Davis since December 17, when he went down with a knee sprain. The Lakers lost their first four games in Davis’ absence but have mustered a 3-1 run since then. James has been sensational, averaging 34.8 points per game since Davis left the lineup. Monk has also upped his game, scoring 20 points per contest over his last five outings.

Kendrick Nunn (knee) is out while Avery Bradley (neck) is probable.

See Odds Shark’s Best NBA Sites

How Sacramento Will Cover

While the Lakers own the better record, the underlying numbers between the two teams aren’t too different. The Kings rank 12th offensively at 109.5 points per game and the Lakers rank ninth at 111 points. Defensively, both teams have been poor, as Sacramento ranks 28th (113.7 points allowed) and Los Angeles sits in 26th (112 points). If both teams live up to their season averages, the Kings should be able to cover easily.

How Los Angeles Will Cover

James has been at another level over the past few weeks, scoring nearly 35 points per contest over an eight-game span, including a run of seven straight with 30-plus points. The loss of Davis is big, but Monk has been able to step up and provide plenty of secondary scoring. If James can go off for 30 or more again, the Lakers could win big.

Computer Pick: Lakers -6.5

As we inch closer to the NBA playoffs, be sure to see our NBA computer picks page for daily NBA betting predictions.