New York Knicks vs. Sacramento Kings Preview and Prediction (3/9/23)
Moneyline: Kings -170, Knicks +145
Spread: Kings -3.5, Knicks +3.5
Total: 236
New York Knicks vs. Sacramento Kings Betting Odds Breakdown
New York will be making their way to Sacramento to take on the Kings on Thursday.
The Kings are coming into this game as the favorite at -3.5, and the over/under is sitting at 236 points. Along with that, the moneyline is at -170 for Sacramento and +145 for New York.
New York Knicks Preview
The New York Knicks are the hottest team in the league right now, as they have won nine of their last ten games.
The Knicks have been playing some great basketball lately, and for the most part, it has been a team effort. And if it ever seemed like the Knicks needed to be picked up by someone to give them some momentum, someone in New York has always been able to do it. Against the Boston Celtics for example on March 5th, it was Immanuel Quickley who absolutely exploded for 38 points to propel the Knicks to a victory in double overtime. It wasn’t just him though, as Julius Randle had 31 points and RJ Barrett put 29 points up on the board. It was a great game all around, but this win streak does not guarantee a win over the Sacramento Kings.
The Knicks need to be very careful with how they handle the Kings’ offense. Sacramento’s offense has been very good this season, and it has them sitting at first place for defensive efficiency in the whole league. They also score the most points per game as a team with 121 points per game. However, the Knicks defense has not been too bad this season, with them being 11th in the league for defensive efficiency and also eight in the league for opponent points scored per game at about 112 points per game. They are capable of playing good defense, but if they end up getting a little lazy, it might end up costing them the game.
Sacramento Kings Preview
The Kings are coming into this game at 38-26, which has them tied for second in the western conference.
Sacramento has exceeded expectations by a lot this season, and it looks like they will be having their first playoff berth since 2006. And for the Kings, it finally seems like they have a star player in De’Aaron Fox. Fox has been having a career year this season, with him averaging about 26 points, four rebounds, and six assists per game this season. He has been very fun to watch, and with him being paired with someone like Domantas Sabonis, this can be a team that no one wants to face. It’s not only those two, because they still have young players like Keegan Murray and Davion Mitchell who still have plenty of time to develop. Sacramento’s future is bright, and they should be looking forward to what’s to come in the next few years.
The matchup that should be very fun to watch in this one is the matchup between Domantas Sabonis and Mitchell Robinson. With a defensive presence like Mitchell Robinson in the paint along with a physical player like Domantas Sabonis, it is bound to be one of the more entertaining matchups that are on the floor. Robinson has a defensive rating of 108.8 this season, and he should definitely provide some resistance to Domantas Sabonis who averages about 19 points and 12 rebounds per game. It will definitely be fun to watch, and we should keep an eye out for it.
