The Sacramento Kings (12-13) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (5-20) on Thursday, December 12th. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and televised on NBCS. The Kings are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pelicans are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pelicans. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Kings vs Pelicans

The Kings Are Coming Off A Win

The Kings improved to 12-13 on the season with a dominant 141-97 win over the Jazz on Sunday. Sacramento, favored by 11 points, easily covered the spread at home. The game’s total points of 238 narrowly exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 235.

After a tight 1st quarter, the Kings took control, outscoring the Jazz 36-22 in the 2nd quarter. A key 12-0 run pushed the score from 89-72 to 101-72, and Sacramento finished strong, winning the 4th quarter 36-23.

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

The Pelicans fell to 5-20 on the season after a 121-116 road loss to the Spurs on Sunday. New Orleans entered the game as +7 point underdogs and managed to cover the spread, losing by five. The total points for the game were 237, exceeding the pre-game O/U line of 223.5 by 13.5 points.

New Orleans started strong, leading 34-28 after the 1st quarter, but a 43-point 2nd quarter from the Spurs, including an 11-0 run, put them behind. The Pelicans fought back, winning the 3rd quarter 25-21 and tying the 4th quarter 29-29, but couldn’t close the gap.

Kings Offense Breakdown

The Kings put up 141 points in their win over the Jazz, shooting 57% from the field and hitting 22 threes at a 50% clip. Kevin Huerter led the way with 26 points, making 6 threes at 66.7% efficiency.

De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and 9 assists, while Domantas Sabonis contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds. Doug McDermott scored all 18 of his points in the 4th quarter.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 25 points and 4 threes in their 121-116 loss to the Spurs, adding 9 points in the 4th quarter. CJ McCollum contributed 19 points, while Yves Missi posted a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

The Pelicans hit 13 threes at a 34.2% rate, with an overall FG% of 43.4%. Herbert Jones added 9 of his 12 points in the 3rd quarter, and Dejounte Murray and Missi each scored 5 points in the final period.

Kings Team Defense

The Kings put together a strong defensive performance on Sunday, holding the Jazz to just 97 points. Sacramento limited Utah to 23 points in both the 1st and 4th quarters, and the Jazz managed only 22 points in the 2nd. Overall, the Kings held the Jazz to 38% shooting from the field.

From beyond the arc, Utah hit 15 threes on 35% shooting. The Jazz also went 20/21 from the free-throw line. The Kings gave up 9 offensive rebounds while collecting 10 steals and 7 blocks.

Pelicans Team Defense

The Kings put on a defensive clinic against the Jazz, holding them to just 97 points on 38% shooting. Sacramento was consistent throughout, allowing 23 points in both the 1st and 4th quarters and just 22 in the 2nd.

From deep, the Jazz hit 15 threes at a 35% clip. The Kings also sent Utah to the line 21 times, where they made 20 free throws. Sacramento finished with 10 steals and 7 blocked shots.

Kings vs Pelicans Trends

• Across their five previous road games, Sacramento has an ATS mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-3 while averaging 111 points per game.
• Across the Pelicans last ten home games, the team averaged 98 points per game while allowing 118. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 3-7, while going 0-10 straight-up.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Pelicans have gone 2-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Kings have a straight up record of 5-5. Their record vs the spread in these games was 4-6.

Kings vs Pelicans Prediction

Not only do we have the Kings winning this one by a score of 132-106, but we see them covering the spread. Our pick is to grab the Kings at -6.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 231.5 and given that our model is projecting 238 points between the teams, we like the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.