Kings vs. Nets Odds & Picks: Back A Surging Sacramento Squad

Kings vs. Nets Betting Odds

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Brooklyn finds itself just one win away from clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs and will look to solidify that spot on Friday night.

Earlier this week, the Nets pulled off one of the biggest point-spread upsets in NBA history, covering the +18.5 spread in a 119-116 win over Milwaukee. Then, Brooklyn followed up that performance with a 34-point loss to the Celtics.

Sacramento is coming off of their biggest win in the bubble against New Orleans, which brought the Kings within shouting distance of a playoff berth in the Western Conference play-in game.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings have largely avoided significant Covid-related absences, but Sacramento has nonetheless faced an adjustment period due to Harrison Barnes' late arrival to Orlando.

Barnes did not join the Kings in Orlando in time to go through the team's restart mini-camp. That was a big blow for Sacramento, who relies heavily on Barnes for his production, leadership, and championship pedigree. As a result, his absence during mini-camp likely contributed to the Kings' lackadaisical start in Orlando.

Nonetheless, in Sacramento's recent win over New Orleans, Barnes seemed to finally find his groove offensively. He went 9-for-18 from the floor and scored 22 points in a tertiary role next to D'Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdonavic.

Fox has gotten off to a hot start in the bubble, averaging 26.7 points per game on shooting 50.5% from the floor. The young point guard has kick-started Sacramento's offense and pushed tempo dramatically.

Prior to the regular season suspension, the Kings ranked in the bottom-10 of the league in pace of play, averaging 100.9 possessions per game. However, in the Orlando bubble, Sacramento has increased its pace to 105.7 possessions per game.

Moreover, Sacramento's decision to feature Bogdan Bogdonavic at shooting guard over the highly-touted Buddy Heild has paid major dividends for the Kings. Bogdanovic has excelled during the seeding games by providing a scoring punch and elevating his teammates via his distributing ability.

Head coach, Luke Walton has tried to recreate the ball movement with the Kings that he witnessed as an interim coach with the Golden State Warriors and Bogdanovic is the perfect fit for that system.

After pouring in a game-high 35 points against the Pelicans, expect Bogdonavic to receive ample attention from the Brooklyn wing collective.

Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn has endured marked instability to its active roster during bubble play, which has rendered the Nets somewhat difficult to handicap.

The Nets were fined $25,000 for failing to comply with league policies governing injury reporting, but the league did not clarify Brooklyn's specific violations.

Nonetheless, Brooklyn's fine may be connected to its decision to rest Jarrett Allen, Caris LaVert, and Joe Harris in their game against the Bucks, which they actually happened to win. The Nets list each of the aforementioned players on the team's current injury report.

No matter who suits up for Brooklyn on Friday evening, the Nets still find themselves at a talent deficit against an up-and-coming Sacramento squad. The Nets have been relying heavily on their 3-point shooting in the bubble, but the Kings have been surprisingly adept defending the perimeter. Sacramento has allowed opponents to shoot 35.7% from deep this season. Expect the Kings to leverage Fox's length to disrupt the Nets offense by applying pressure LaVert and Chris Chiozza.

Don't be fooled by the Nets' one surprising upset over the Bucks, no matter how monumental it was. Brooklyn is still a team without a clear identity, and the Kings present significant matchup problems for this under-talented group.

Betting Analysis & Pick

The Nets' Jamal Crawford is listed out with a hamstring injury. Brooklyn may also be without Allen and Harris, who are listed with ankle and groin injuries, respectively.

After receiving new life on Thursday, look for the Kings to continue their hot play as their continuity builds against a depleted Nets team.

Pick: Kings -4.5

[Bet $20+ on the Kings at PointsBet and Win $125 if they make at least one 3-pointer]