Detroit Pistons Vs. Sacramento Kings: Predictions, Starting Lineups (2/7/24)
After a successful seven-game road trip where they secured five wins, the Sacramento Kings return home and will be met there by the ever-struggling Detroit Pistons. Will Sacramento keep up its strong play at home against Detroit, or will it play down to its competition? Take a look at our Detroit Pistons vs. Sacramento Kings prediction, betting picks, and complete matchup preview below!
Detroit Pistons Vs. Sacramento Kings Prediction
It is challenging to imagine the Detroit Pistons having a worse season than this one; they are 6-43 through 49 games and have lost 19 of their last 20 road games. A recent road win against the Washington Wizards (9-40) is the only time they have secured a victory away from Little Caesars Arena since October 27th. Detroit has the third-worst net and second-worst defensive ratings on the road, allowing its opponents to shoot 50% from the field and 40% from behind the arc in those games.
Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings sit in fifth place but are only one-half of a game from seventh, which is a play-in spot. They do not have much room for error. Additionally, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder are all five games ahead of Sacramento, which is a substantial lead. While it is not insurmountable, the Kings have an uphill battle to pass any of the aforementioned teams.
This is a bad (even worse than usual) matchup for the Pistons. For one, Detroit allows opposing point guards to score the second-most points and record the third-most assists, giving De’Aaron Fox a clear pathway to a massive game. Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Killian Hayes, and Marcus Sasser cannot stay in front of Fox, and they certainly don’t defend the pick-and-roll well either, so Sacramento will get a foot in the paint whenever it wants.
Fox will either finish in and around the paint or kick out to shooters, which the Kings have in abundance. Sacramento knocks down the ninth-highest 3P% on its home floor and takes the second-most attempts per game at Golden 1 Center. Further, Detroit’s opponents have the highest 3P% on open (4-6 feet) threes in the NBA. Again, not a good matchup.
Lastly, there is a strong chance that Domantas Sabonis could get Jalen Duren into foul trouble with his footwork, shot fakes, and impressive positioning, particularly on rebounds. If Duren were to pick up some cheap fouls, the Pistons would have to rely on players like Mike Muscala to defend Sabonis. That would be beyond disastrous.
Detroit Pistons Vs. Sacramento Kings Prediction: Kings -13 (-110)
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Detroit Pistons Vs. Sacramento Kings Best Odds
The Sacramento Kings are a humongous 13.5-point home favorite on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons. Detroit has Moneyline odds of +575 to secure an unlikely upset on the road, while the Kings are -850 to win outright at home. The Over/Under for this bout rests at 242 points, a relatively high point total.
Sacramento has a 24-23-2 Over record, while Detroit is 28-20-1. The Kings are 10-12 against the spread at home, while the Pistons are 11-11 ATS on the road.
Detroit Pistons Starting Lineup
PG: Cade Cunningham
SG: Jaden Ivey
SF: Bojan Bogdanovic
PF: Kevin Knox II
C: Jalen Duren
Sacramento Kings Starting Lineup
PG: De’Aaron Fox
SG: Kevin Huerter
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: Keegan Murray
C: Domantas Sabonis
Detroit Pistons Vs. Sacramento Kings Injuries
Detroit will continue to miss Isaiah Stewart, who sprained his ankle in a home win against the Oklahoma City Thunder last week. The Pistons also have two key players listed as questionable, including Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) and Cade Cunningham (knee). For Detroit to keep this game close, it will need Bogdanovic and Cunningham on the floor.
On the other hand, Sacramento only has one player on its injury report: Sasha Vezenkov. Vezenkov is day-to-day and will more than likely be a game-time decision on Wednesday night due to a nagging ankle injury.
