DENVER NUGGETS VS. SACRAMENTO KINGS ODDS AND PREDICTIONS FOR FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from tonight’s slate features the Denver Nuggets (35-16 SU, 21-28-2 ATS) taking on the Sacramento Kings (29-21 SU, 26-24 ATS).

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

• When: Friday, February 9, 2024
  
• Time: 10:00 PM ET
  
• Where: Golden 1 Center
  
• Location: Sacramento, California
  
• TV: NBCS-CA and ALT

Denver Nuggets vs. Sacramento Kings Odds (Via DraftKings)

Denver Nuggets vs. Sacramento Kings – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Nugget Extend Their Winning Streak To Four Games?

Denver Nuggets Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 114.8 PPG – 16TH            
• Offensive Efficiency: 118.9 points per 100 possessions – 8TH               
• Scoring Defense: 110.6 PPG – 4TH            
• Defensive Efficiency: 114.6 points per 100 possessions – 12TH      

The Denver Nuggets are tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the top spot in a competitive conference race in which the top four teams are separated by just one game in the standings. Denver has won eight of its last 10 games and enters this matchup on a three-game winning streak. 

This includes a pair of wins in a home-and-home set against the Portland Trail Blazers, and a 114-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. Jamal Murray scored a team-high 29 points on 12-for-25 shooting from the floor and a 5-for-9 effort from beyond the arc. 

Michael Porter Jr. added 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Porter also converted four of his seven attempts from 3-point range. Nuggets big man, Nikola Jokic, contributed 24 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists. He also tallied three blocked shots as well. 

The Nuggets gave up a 15-point lead. However, they finished the game on a 10-2 run that enabled them to come out on top. 

“Give them credit, they had all the momentum, and they were attacking us,” Denver coach Michael Malone said, via ESPN. “What I saw in that stretch was poise on offense and executing. To outscore that team 10-2 in the last few minutes, that means you’re defending at a high level and you are rebounding.”

The Nuggets hope to push their winning streak to four games against a Kings squad that has struggled in its last two outings. 

Can The Kings?

Sacramento Kings Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 118.4 PPG – 9TH    
• Offensive Efficiency: 117.2 points per 100 possessions – 14TH             
• Scoring Defense: 118.1 PPG – 21ST           
• Defensive Efficiency: 117.0 points per 100 possessions – 17TH       

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings have produced six wins across their last 10 decisions and have a one-game lead over the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 7 spot in the playoff race.

However, the Kings enter this matchup amid a two-game losing skid. They suffered a 136-110 loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. But that was not the worst of it. Sacramento followed that up with a 133-120 loss to the Detroit Pistons two nights later. 

Domantas Sabonis certainly did his part as he finished with 30 points on 11-for-17 shooting from the field. He also collected 12 rebounds and handed out seven assists. Kevin Huerter added 16 points and converted four of his nine attempts from 3-point range. De’Aaron Fox contributed 14 points and seven assists on 5-for-14 shooting from the floor. 

The Kings clung to a two-point lead heading into the final frame. Unfortunately, they were outscored 36-21, enabling the road team to cruise to a 13-point victory. 

“You’re going to lose games and you’re going to lose games that everybody thinks you should win,” he said, via CBS Sports. “But if you lose a basketball game, you at least want to be able to look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘I left it out on the floor,’ and I don’t think many of us can look ourselves in the mirror tonight and say we left it out on the floor. That’s what’s disappointing to me.”

On the heels of a loss against one of the worst teams in the league, the Kings will have to play with a sense of urgency from start to finish if they want to knock off the defending champions. 

Now that we have the preliminary stuff out of the way, let us look at the betting trends for both sides.

The Picks

The Spread

Despite the loss to Detroit, the Kings come into this matchup as a one-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has not changed (per pre-game.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season. 

• The Denver Nuggets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 February contests. 
• The Kings are 2-4 ATS in their last six games overall. 
• Sacramento is 2-6 ATS in its last eight home games.
• In their last eight February games, the Kings are 6-2 against the spread.

Given the above trends, going with the road team to cover a small spread is the best play here.

Prediction: Denver Nuggets (+1)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 232.5 points. At the time of this writing, the line has climbed to 233.5 points. Here is why going with the “over” is the smart choice. 

• The total has gone OVER five times in the Nuggets’ last seven road matchups against Sacramento.
• The OVER total has cashed in four times in the Kings’ last five contests.
• The total has gone OVER 12 times in Sacramento’s last 18 games against the Nuggets.

Prediction: OVER 233.5 points

Player Prop Bets

One of the key players to watch for the road team is Nikola Jokic. He currently has -115 odds of scoring more than 27.5 points and -115 odds of finishing with less than 27.5 points.

Here is a glance to see how his numbers compare to the projected points total for this matchup. 

• On the season, Jokic is averaging 26.3 points per outing. 
• In 25 road contests this season, he is averaging 26.7 PPG.
• Jokic has played against Western Conference teams 29 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 27.9 points per outing.
• In nine matchups against Pacific Division opponents, Jokic averages 28.8 points per game.
• Over his last 10 outings, Jokic is averaging 29.4 points per game, while exceeding the points total for this matchup four times during that stretch.

Going with the “over” for Jokic is the smart choice based on the above trends.

Prediction: Nikola Jokic OVER 27.5 points

The key player to watch for the home team is Domantas Sabonis. He currently has -110 odds of scoring more than 19.5 points and -120 odds of finishing with less than 19.5 points. 

Let us take a closer look to see how his numbers stack up against the projected points total for this matchup. 

• On the season, Sabonis is averaging 19.9 points per outing.
• In 23 home contests, he is averaging 19.6 PPG.
• Sabonis has played against Western Conference teams 31 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 19.1 points per outing.
• In nine matchups against Northwest Division opponents, Sabonis averages 20.8 points per game.
• Over his last 10 outings, Sabonis has averaged 19 points per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup four times during that stretch.

Prediction: Domantas Sabonis OVER 19.5 points

James’s Denver Nuggets vs. Sacramento Kings Picks

• The Spread: Denver Nuggets (+1)
• Over/Under: OVER 233.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #1: Nikola Jokic OVER 27.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #2: Domantas Sabonis OVER 19.5 points