Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings Betting Pick & Prediction 12/16/24

At 10:00 ET, the Sacramento Kings will host the Denver Nuggets at the Golden 1 Center. The Nuggets (-111) are favored by 1 point over the Kings (-107) in a Western Conference matchup.

Denver (13-10) is 5th in the West and 2nd in the Northwest Division. They’ve won two straight games. Sacramento (13-13) is 12th in the West and 5th in the Pacific Division. They’ve won three straight games. The over/under line for this game is 238.5 points.

DENVER NUGGETS VS SACRAMENTO KINGS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Sacramento Kings +1

This game will be played at Golden 1 Center at 10:00 ET on Monday, December 16th.

WHY BET THE SACRAMENTO KINGS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 131-119 in favor of the Kings.
• Our projections have De’Aaron Fox finishing with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
• From the field, we have the Kings finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.6% and knocking down 13 threes.

Does Denver Have What it Takes to Win as Road Favorites?

The Nuggets improved to 13-10 on the season with a 120-98 win over the Clippers on Friday. Denver, playing at home, entered the game as 7.5-point favorites and covered the spread with the 22-point victory. The total score of 218 points fell short of the 227.5-point O/U line.

Denver started strong, leading 29-22 after the 1st quarter, but the Clippers responded with an 18-0 run, turning a 38-29 deficit into a 56-38 lead. The Nuggets bounced back, outscoring the Clippers 35-22 in the 3rd quarter and 37-29 in the 4th to seal the win.

Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 20 points in their win over the Clippers, shooting 50% from the field and hitting 2 threes at 40%. Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points, with 12 coming in the 3rd quarter, and Nikola Jokic contributed 16 points, shooting 66.7% and making 2 threes at 100%.

Denver shot 54.5% from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 10 threes at 34.5%. Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson each scored 14 points, with Watson adding 9 in the 4th quarter. Julian Strawther also had a strong finish, scoring 8 of his 12 points in the final period.

The Nuggets’ defense was on point against the Clippers, holding them to just 98 points. Denver gave up 22 points in both the 1st and 3rd quarters, and 25 in the 2nd. The Clippers’ highest-scoring quarter was the 4th, where they managed 29 points.

Denver limited the Clippers to 44% shooting overall, including 34% from three, with the Clippers hitting 14 threes. The Nuggets also sent the Clippers to the line 18 times, where they made 10 free throws. Denver controlled the boards, allowing just 5 offensive rebounds, and added 15 steals.

Do the Kings Have What it Takes to Win as Home Underdogs?

The Kings evened their season record at 13-13 with a 111-109 road win over the Pelicans on Thursday. Sacramento, favored by 7 points, didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total of 220 points fell short of the 232.5-point O/U line.

Sacramento’s 14-0 run early in the game set the tone, but after taking a 91-83 lead into the 4th quarter, they were outscored 26-20 in the final period, narrowly holding on for the win.

Domantas Sabonis dominated in the Kings’ win over the Pelicans, putting up 32 points and 20 rebounds while shooting 73.3% from the field. DeMar DeRozan added 29 points, hitting 3 threes at a 100% rate, and scored 16 of his points in the 3rd quarter.

As a team, the Kings struggled with their shooting, finishing with a 40.2% field goal percentage and hitting just 10 threes at a 30.3% rate. De’Aaron Fox and Keegan Murray each contributed 18 points, with Murray scoring 8 in the 4th quarter.

Defensively, the Kings were consistent, allowing 26 points in both the 1st and 4th quarters, and 29 in the 2nd, to hold the Pelicans to 109 points. Sacramento sent New Orleans to the line 20 times, where they converted 17 free throws.

From beyond the arc, the Pelicans hit 14 threes at a 37% clip. The Kings gave up 10 offensive rebounds but came up with 12 steals and 2 blocks in the game.