Saturday, March 18, 2017

Chesapeake Energy Arena

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The Sacramento Kings travel to Chesapeake Energy Arena to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, March 18, 2017. The opening line for this matchup has Oklahoma City as 7 point favorites.

The Kings come into this game with an overall record of 27-41. They are 3rd in the Pacific Division. They currently have a point differential of -3.0 as they are averaging 103.1 points per game while giving up 106.1 per contest. The Thunder have an overall record of 39-29. They currently are 2nd in the Northwest Division. They are averaging 106.8 points per game and surrendering 106.1, good for a point differential of 0.7.

Valuable Sacramento Kings Betting Trends

The Sacramento Kings are 35-32-1 against the spread

The Sacramento Kings are 29-39-0 against the over/under

Important Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Trends

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 38-29-1 against the spread

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 30-33-5 against the over/under

Key Sacramento Kings Injuries

03/13/17 F Rudy Gay Achilles out for season
02/16/17 G Malachi Richardson Hamstring out indefinitely

Key Oklahoma City Thunder Injuries

No key injuries to report

Player Spotlight

Darren Collison comes into this contest averaging 13.5 points per game while playing 30.8 minutes per night so far this season for the Kings. He pulls down 2.2 rebounds per game and dishes out 4.5 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 48% while his free throw percentage is currently at 86%. Buddy Hield averages 9.4 points per game in 21.3 minutes per contest this season. He averages 1.3 assists per contest and 3 rebounds per game for Sacramento. His field goal percentage is 41% for the year while his free throw percentage is 87%.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other NBA games check out our handicapping tips.

Player Spotlight

Steven Adams averages 11.8 points per game while playing 30.4 minutes per contest this year for the Thunder. He grabs 7.7 rebounds per game and has 1.1 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 58% and his free throw percentage currently is at 63%. Russell Westbrook averages 31.7 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 34.8 minutes per contest. He also averages 10.5 rebounds per contest and 10.4 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 42% and his free throw percentage is 84%.

Useful Team Statistics

Sacramento averages 103.1 points per contest this season which ranks them 21st in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is -3.07 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team which has them ranked 14th. Behind the arc they shoot 37% which is good for 8th in the league. They average 41.2 rebounds per game and 22.5 assists per game which ranks them 28th and 14th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 10th with 14.6 per game. The Kings allow 106.1 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 20th in the league. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 37% average from behind the arc ranking them 22nd and 23rd in those defensive categories. Opponents average 42.8 rebounds a game which ranks 10th and they give up 23.5 assists per contest which puts them in 24th place in the league. They force 14.4 turnovers per game which ranks them 18th in the league.

Useful Team Statistics

Oklahoma City averages 106.8 points per game this year which ranks them 11th in the league. Their average scoring margin is 0.69 and their shooting percentage is 45% as a team which has them sitting in the 19th spot in the league. Behind the arc they shoot 33% which is good for 28th in the NBA. They average 46.2 rebounds per game and 21 assists per contest which ranks them 2nd and 25th respectively. In the turnover department the Thunder rank 7th with 15.1 per game. The Thunder allow 106.1 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 19th in the league. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 36% average from behind the arc ranking them 17th and 13th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 40.9 rebounds a game which ranks 4th and they give up 21.4 assists per contest which puts them in 7th place in the league. The Thunder force 13.7 turnovers per game which ranks them 13th in the NBA.

Advanced Statistics

The Kings have an offensive rating of 107.4 and a defensive rating of 110.6. In terms of pace they average 94.8 possessions per 48 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 51%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 56% and they shoot 3 pointers on 30% of their shots. Sacramento turns the ball over an average of 13.6 times per 100 possessions and they force 13.4 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 53%.

Advanced Statistics

The Thunder rating on offense is 108.4 and they have a defensive rating of 107.7. They get 97.9 possessions per 48 minutes and they have an effective field goal percentage of 50%. As a unit they have a true shooting percentage of 54% and they attempt 3 pointers on 30% of their shot attempts. Oklahoma City turns the ball over on 13.3 out of every 100 possessions and their opponents average 12.4 turnovers per 100 possessions. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the year is 51%.

Who will win tonight's Kings/Thunder NBA game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take Oklahoma City -7

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