Wizards vs Kings Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Friday, December 23rd

Check out our free Wizards vs Kings pick and preview for this NBA game in Sacramento. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Wizards vs Kings NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Washington Wizards at Sacramento Kings
Where: Sacramento at Golden 1 Center
Date: Friday, December 23rd
Betting Odds SAC -8, WAS +279 | SAC -359 O/U 236.5

The Wizards come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 12-21. So far, the team has gone 12-20-1 against the spread. Across the team’s previous 3 games, they have gone 1-2 straight-up and 2-1 vs the spread.

Not only did the Wizards drop their last game to the Jazz. But they also picked up an ATS loss, as they fell by a score of 120-112 as 7 point underdogs. Washington let an opportunity for a win slip away as they held a lead going into the 2nd half of action. Leading the team in scoring was Bradley Beal, as he contributed 30 points while hitting 65.0% of his shots.

The Kings come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 17-13. So far, the team has gone 18-11-1 against the spread. In their previous 3 games, the Kings are averaging 125 points per game while allowing 119. This has led to a record of 2-1.

The Kings will look to keep things rolling, as they previously beat the Lakers by a score of 134-120. Heading into the game, they were 8 point favorites against the spread, giving them an ATS win. Sacramento entered the second half with a 8a point lead, and were able to slightly extend that margin and prevent a second half comeback by the Lakers. Leading the team in scoring was Kevin Huerter, as he contributed 26 points while hitting 64.3% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In their 2 wins over the Wizards, the Kings won by scores of 119-105 and 110-105. Similar to their season-long average, the Wizards averaged 107.5 points per game vs the Kings. On the other side, Sacramento saw an improvement in their scoring numbers when playing the Wizards, as they averaged 121.0 points per game in these matchups. The ATS record across the previous 5 head-to-head meetings is 4-1 in favor of the Kings. In these matchups, Sacramento has averaged 121 points per game, while allowing 116. Washington and Sacramento averaged a combined 237 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

This season, the Washington offense is ranked 23rd in the NBA in scoring at 110.8 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Wizards will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 11.0 made 3’s per game. Not only is the Washington offense struggling with their outside shot, but they are also getting to the charity stripe at a below average rate. So far, they are the 26th ranked team in made free-throws per contest.

Against the Kings, the Wizards will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 16th in points allowed.

Before getting a bet down on this matchup, be sure to check in on the health status of Kristaps Porzingis who is 2nd on the team in scoring at 22.4 points per game. At the time of this article, Porzingis is listed as questionable. For the season, he is 1st on the team in usage rate and is 33rd in the NBA in player efficiency rating. If he is able to play, Washington benefit from having both of their top scorers as Kyle Kuzma leads the team and is 36th in the league in scoring (21.5). For today’s matchup, he will going against a defense ranked 9th in points allowed to power-fowards.

Coming into today’s action, Sacramento is averaging 118.4 points per contest. This figure places them 1st in the league. So far, Sacramento is averaging 101.8 possessions per game, making them one of the more up-tempo teams in the league. If the Kings offense is going to continue to produce at their current level, they would benefit from an improvement in their outside shooting. Currently, they are the 15th ranked team in 3-point shooting percentage.

Currently, the Kings defense is ranked 29th in points allowed. So far, opposing teams are averaging 115.77 points per game vs the unit.

On offense, De’Aaron Fox leads the Kings in scoring at 23.1 points per game, placing him 25th in the NBA. Overall, Fox has hit 49.8% of his shots while accounting for 19.5% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 13th in points allowed to point-guards. At 17.9 points per game, Domantas Sabonis is the 2nd leading scorer for the Kings. For the season, he is 22nd in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 62.3%.