Sacramento Kings at New Orleans Pelicans NBA Picks & Predictions 10/19/2018

Friday, October 19, 2018

Smoothie King Center

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Sacramento Kings head to Smoothie King Center to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, October 19, 2018. The opening line for this game has New Orleans as 11 point favorites.

The Kings head into this matchup after finishing last year with a mark of 27-55. They were 4th in the Pacific Division. They had a point differential of -7.0 as they averaged 98.8 points per contest while giving up 105.8 per game. The Pelicans had an overall record of 48-34 last season. They were 2nd in the Southwest Division. They averaged 111.7 points per game and surrendered 110.4, good for a point differential of 1.3.

Valuable Sacramento Kings Betting Trends

The Sacramento Kings were 39-40-3 against the spread last season

The Sacramento Kings were 39-42-0 against the over/under last year

Important New Orleans Pelicans Betting Trends

The New Orleans Pelicans were 52-38-1 against the spread last season

The New Orleans Pelicans were 52-39-0 against the over/under last year

Key Sacramento Kings Injuries

10/16/18 C Kosta Koufos Hamstring is out indefinitely
10/11/18 G Bogdan Bogdanovic Knee is out indefinitely

Key New Orleans Pelicans Injuries

10/11/18 C Alexis Ajinca Knee is out indefinitely

Player Spotlight

De'Aaron Fox comes into this game after averaging 11.6 points per contest while playing 27.8 minutes per night last year. He grabbed 2.8 rebounds per contest and distributed 4.4 assists per game. His FG percentage was 41% while his free throw percentage was 72%. Buddy Hield averaged 13.5 points per contest in 25.3 minutes per game last year. He averaged 1.9 assists per game and 3.8 rebounds per contest. His field goal percentage was 45% for the season while his free throw percentage was 88%.

Player Spotlight

Anthony Davis scored 28.1 points per contest while playing 36.4 minutes per game last season. He hauled in 11.1 rebounds per contest and had 2.3 assists per game on the season. His FG percentage was 53% and his free throw percentage finished at 83%. Jrue Holiday averaged 19.0 points per game last year and he saw the court an average of 36.1 minutes per game. He also brought in 4.5 rebounds per game and had 6.0 assists per contest. His field goal percentage was 49% and his free throw percentage was 79%.

Useful Team Statistics

Sacramento averaged 98.8 points per contest last year, which was 30th in the league. Their average scoring margin was -7.0 and their shooting percentage was 45% as a unit, which had them ranked 24th. From 3-point territory they shot 38%, which was good for 4th in the NBA. They averaged 40.9 boards per contest and 21.6 assists per game, which ranked them 28th and 25th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they were 22nd with 13.7 per game. The Kings allowed 105.8 points per contest, which was 14th in the NBA. They also surrendered a 47% shooting percentage and a 38% average from 3-point range, ranking them 25th and 29th in defensive field goal percentage. Opponents averaged 43.7 rebounds a game which ranked 20th, and they allowed 23.6 assists per game which put them in 19th place in the league. They forced 14.3 turnovers per game which ranked them 19th in the NBA.

Useful Team Statistics

New Orleans was 3rd in the NBA with 111.7 points per contest last season. They were 2nd in the league in shooting at 48%, while their average scoring margin was 1.3. They shot 36% from beyond the arc, which was good for 14th in the league. They were 10th in the NBA in rebounding with 44.4 boards per contest and 3rd in assists per game with 26.8. The Pelicans were 9th in turnovers per contest with 14.9. The Pelicans gave up 110.4 points per game, which ranked them 29th in the league. Their defense surrendered a 45% shooting percentage and a 36% average from behind the 3-point line, ranking them 9th and 8th in those defensive statistics. They ranked 20th with 23.7 dimes allowed per game and 25th with 45.5 boards surrendered per contest. The Pelicans were 20th in the league in forcing turnovers with 14.5 per contest last year.

Advanced Statistics

The Kings were 29th in the league in defensive rating with 111.1, and their offensive rating of 103.7 was ranked 28th. They were 30th in the NBA in pace with 94.9 possessions per 48 minutes, and their eFG% of 50% was 27th. As a unit they were 30th in the league in true shooting percentage with 53% and they shot 3-pointers on 28% of their shot attempts, ranking 28th in the NBA. Sacramento was 18th in turnovers, as they turned the ball over an average of 12.8 times per 100 possessions while forcing 13.5 on defense. Their defensive eFG% for the year was 54%, which was 2nd in the NBA.

Advanced Statistics

New Orleans was 14th in the NBA in turnovers, as they turned the ball over an average of 13.3 times per 100 possessions while forcing 12.5 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season was 51%, which was 22nd in the league. The Pelicans were 10th in the NBA in offensive rating with 109.6, and their defensive rating of 108.3 was ranked 14th. In terms of pace they were 1st in the league with 100.5 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 54% was 4th. As a team they were 5th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 57% and they shot 3-pointers on 32% of their shots, ranking 20th in the league.

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

Josh's Pick: Take New Orleans +11

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Josh Schonwald