The Los Angeles Clippers (39-38) and Sacramento Kings (21-57) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 9:00 p.m. ET from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. The game will broadcast live on NBCS-CA.
The Clippers are 13.5-point favorites over the Kings on the spread (Clippers -13.5), with the over/under set at 228.5 total points. Los Angeles is a -900 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Sacramento is +600 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Clippers vs. Kings predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, April 5.
Clippers vs Kings Prediction, Pick
- Clippers vs Kings pick: Kings +13.5 (-112)
My Kings vs Clippers best bet is on Sacramento to cover the spread. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Clippers vs Kings Odds
| Clippers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-13.5 -102 | 228.5 -108o / -112u | -900 |
| Kings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+13.5 -112 | 228.5 -108o / -112u | +600 |
Clippers vs Kings NBA Preview
A surging Blazers team has made the Play-In Tournament race a lot more interesting of late. They have won eight of their last 10 games and defeated the Clippers in Inglewood on Tuesday, which currently gives them a half-game lead on the eighth seed.
The Clippers still own the tiebreak with Portland before one final meeting on Friday, but they can pull back into the eighth spot temporarily with a win over the Kings tonight.
Los Angeles has taken seven of the last 10 meetings from Sacramento, but the team probably wishes it could have the last meeting back.
As a 13.5-point underdog, the Kings won outright 118-109 with L.A. natives DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook leading the way.
DeRozan scored 27 points while Westbrook had 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the 209th triple-double of his career. He will not be recording No. 210 tonight, as he is out with a toe injury.
Since Westbrook last played, the Kings are 3-4 in their last seven games, which may be to the chagrin of their fans.
After having the worst in the NBA in February, they hold the fifth-worst record now, which means they could pick as low as ninth in June's NBA Draft. They enter tonight's game with wins over the Raptors and the Pelicans.
Maxime Raynaud continues to look like a steal with the 42nd pick. After scoring 28 points against the Pelicans, the rookie from Stanford now has 20 points in four of his last nine games.
He has formed a solid tandem down low with Precious Achiuwa, who has four double-doubles in their last 10 games. Achiuwa has seen additional time with Keegan Murray sidelined with an ankle sprain.
The Clippers are relatively healthy for tonight's game. Isaiah Jackson is the only player without a season-ending injury who is unavailable tonight.
That is certainly a good sign regarding Kawhi Leonard, as he left the last meeting in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. He scored 31 points before leaving and is averaging 28 per game this season.
Clippers vs Kings Predictions, Betting Analysis
Kings +13.5
Should the Kings be trying to lose this game? Probably, and they still might do so tonight. However, they have covered four of their last five games, winning the last two as 13.5 and 6.5-point underdogs.
They have also covered two of the three games with the Clippers this season.
PRO projections grade this as an A- bet with an 8.5% edge compared to the market price.
While the Clippers certainly need this game more, 13.5 points is a lot to lay with them right now. They are 3-6-1 ATS over their last 10 games.
Given the fight the Kings have shown of late, I will be backing them to cover at home.
Maxime Raynaud 15+ Points
It will certainly help if Raynaud is a focal point in the offense. Averaging 18.3 points in his last 10 games, he has scored 15 points in six of those games.
Action PRO projects him for 15.4 points tonight.
In three of the four unders, he has had a usage rate of 16% or lower.
That was not the case against the Clippers as he scored 23 points.
Precious Achiuwa 8+ Rebounds
Achiuwa had 13 rebounds in that game in 36 minutes. He has averaged 10.2 rebounds and 16.3 rebounds chances over his last 10 games.
If he collects half of them tonight, he will grab eight rebounds, which he has done in six of his last 10 games.
Kawhi Leonard 30+ Points and Rebounds
Leonard has collected six rebounds in each of his last five games and also had six against the Kings. He has also scored 25 points in seven of his last 10 games.
As a result, he has recorded 30 points and rebounds in nine of his last 10 games.
Action PRO project Leonard for 34.8 points and rebounds tonight.
He has also recorded 30 PR in six of his last games against the Kings, averaging 34.6 per game.
John Collins 10+ Points
John Collins has scored 10 points in seven straight games against the Kings.
He has averaged 16 points in three games against them this season.
Collins has also scored 10 points in seven of his last 10 games overall.
Clippers vs Kings Best Bet
- Kings +13.5 (-112, DraftKings)
Clippers vs Kings Parlay Picks
- Maxime Raynaud 15+ Points
- Precious Achiuwa 8+ Rebounds
- Kawhi Leonard 30+ Points and Rebounds
- John Collins 10+ Points
Parlay Odds: +425 via DraftKings
Spread
My Clippers vs. Kings betting prediction is on Sacramento to cover the spread.
Moneyline
I have no play on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm not interested in the total tonight.
