Expect Hungrier Effort from Lakers against Kings

Anthony Davis’ return hasn’t stopped Los Angeles (36-26 SU, 28-33-1 ATS) from continuing to plummet down the Western Conference standings. The Lakers have won just one of their last five games going into Friday’s meeting with Sacramento (25-37, 27-34-1), which is coming off one of its worst losses in franchise history.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

After seeing the Kings get crushed by 49 points on Wednesday, oddsmakers opened the Lakers as 9.5-point favorites. Only one of the last 34 meetings between these in-state rivals has seen the Lakers lay a larger number.

Sacramento News & Notes

They haven’t yet been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but the Kings sure looked like a team that was going through the motions on Wednesday. Sacramento’s 154-105 loss to Utah was the most lopsided defeat the Kings have suffered in 30 years, their biggest loss ever at home and the fourth-largest margin of defeat in franchise history.

Sacramento was without several key players, including De’Aaron Fox (COVID-19 health and safety protocols) and Harrison Barnes (left adductor tightness), but coaches and players didn’t hide their disgust with the Kings’ performance.

“That was absolute B.S. …  It felt at times like grown men having their way out there on the court,” head coach Luke Walton told the Sacramento Bee. Added center Richaun Holmes: “There ain’t no explanation, no justification for losing a game by 50 points. I don’t care who’s out.”

Making the ugly outing even more puzzling was the fact that the Kings were coming off a 113-106 upset victory over the Mavericks two days earlier and had won three of their previous five games.

But if you’re counting on the Kings rebounding with a huge defensive effort on Friday, you might want to tread carefully. Sacramento is 2-11-1 ATS in its last 14 games after allowing 125 points or more, and the Kings have covered just five of their last 22 games when playing on one day’s rest.

Los Angeles News & Notes

The Lakers’ lead over Dallas for the fifth seed in the West is down to 1.5 games after LA went 1-3 SU on a four-game road trip, with the only win coming as an 11-point favorite over the Magic. LA completed the trip Wednesday in Washington with a 116-107 loss to the Wizards that had Anthony Davis questioning the team’s intensity.

“Even though we were in the playoffs as of right now, we’re not that far off from being in a play-in game,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “We’ve got to play with a sense of desperation.”

Davis had his best offensive outing since returning from a strained right calf that sidelined him for 30 games, scoring 26 points on 10-for-20 shooting. With Los Angeles down big in the fourth quarter, coach Frank Vogel experimented with AD at center and may have found something the Lakers can use going forward. Davis scored more than half of his points (14) in the final frame, knocking down five of his eight shots from the field, including two of four from behind the arc.

Outside of Davis, the Lakers were dismal from three-point distance, combining to miss 21 of their 29 treys. Wednesday’s loss to Washington dropped LA to 8-13 SU since LeBron James suffered a high-ankle injury March 20 against Atlanta. The Lakers are also on an 0-4-1 ATS slide in their last five games overall and have covered just one of their last five at Staples Center.

Betting Pick: Lakers -9.5

Despite their recent struggles, the Lakers have fattened up lately on weaker opponents, going 12-3 SU and 11-4 ATS in their last 15 as a favorite.