Kings vs Pacers Prediction, Picks | Best Bet for Friday

Here's everything you need to know about Kings vs. Pacers on Friday, Feb. 2 — our expert prediction and betting picks for today.

The Sacramento Kings head to Indiana to take on the Pacers who travel back from New York after a tough lass to Jalen Brunson and the Knicks at the Garden last night.

Let's get to our Kings vs. Pacers prediction and pick.

The Kings have climbed to fifth-place in a loaded Western Conference with a 27-19 record. They have a rest advantage here having last played on Wednesday and may only be missing Sasha Vezenkov (ankle – questionable) for this matchup.

The Kings have not been the same offensive force that they were last season. They have the 14th-ranked Adjusted Offensive Rating (117.1) per Dunks and Threes, and even though their 27-19 record is impressive, the underlying metrics suggest that the team has won 4.2 more games than expected this season, per Cleaning the Glass.

When the Kings last played the Pacers, they dropped the contest 126-121 back on January 18. In that game, neither Tyrese Haliburton nor Pascal Siakam played and the Kings lost that game from the free throw line – they were just 18 of 32 which is far below their 73% FT percentage this season. Regardless, they were unable to slow down the Pacers even without their top offensive weapon. This has been an issue for Sacramento this season, as they are just 7-7 straight up against teams with top-10 offenses.

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The Pacers play their second game in as many days as they return home to Indiana for this game. Tyrese Haliburton has played 22 minutes in each game since his return while sitting out the entire fourth quarter in both games. He looked fine in his minutes against the Knicks, and considering he can only miss four more games before being ineligible for All-NBA and the super-max contract implications of that, I'd expect him to play again, even if it is in a limited capacity.

The Pacers are just 3-5 since acquiring Pascal Siakam but they've run into some bad luck winning 1.2 fewer games than expected over that stretch, per Cleaning the Glass. They have a net rating of +0.8 and the offense has been solid scoring 119.2 points per 100 possessions. This has primarily been without Haliburton as well, who is instant offense himself.

The early returns with Haliburton and Siakam on the floor have been excellent though. In 86 possessions, the Pacers have a +34.2 Net Rating and are scoring an absurd 148.8 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. It's a significant boost to the Pacers' offense to complement Haliburton with Siakam's ability to not only create for himself but create for his teammates.

The Kings are in an advantageous schedule spot despite being on the road; however, this matchup is one I expect them to struggle a bit in. They do not have the defensive personnel to slow down this Pacers team.

Even if Haliburton plays limited minutes, the offense has been excellent in those opportunities. I think the Pacers could win this game outright; however, I'd rather just back them to score against a relatively poor Kings' defense.

Pick: Pacers Team Total Over 122.5 (-120)

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