Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers 12/30/18: Starting Lineups, Matchup Breakdown, Odds, Daily Fantasy, Betting
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings Preview
Just three days removed from a battle in Northern California, the Los Angeles Lakers (20-16) have home court now as they look to avenge their 116-117 loss to the Sacramento Kings (19-16).
The Lakers were led by Kyle Kuzma with 33 points, who stepped in as LeBron James is still out with a groin injury.
Bogdan Bogdanovic came off the bench for 23 points, and De’Aaron Fox nearly had a triple-double.
Aside from looking to avenge their loss and get past a two-game losing streak, the Lakers are just a half-game ahead of the Kings in the Western Conference standings. A loss to the Kings at home could push the Lakers, who were recently fourth in the West, outside the top eight.
TV Schedule
Date: 12/30/18
Time: 9:30pm ET
Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Channel: SPECSN/NBCSCA
Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | LeBron James |
| SG | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope |
| SF | Danny Green |
| PF | Anthony Davis |
| C | JaVale McGee |
Lakers Analysis
The young Lakers core of Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball have done their best to try to keep the ship afloat after losing James in a Christmas day win over the Golden State Warriors.
But the highs of beating the Warriors were immediately met by lows of James’ absence and losses against Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Regardless of the talent on the roster, James is certainly the difference between the Lakers being a playoff contender and being a bubble team, as has been made apparent by the last two games.
Lakers Quick Links: Lakers Starting Lineup, Lakers Roster, Lakers Depth Chart, Lakers Injuries, Lakers News, Lakers Schedule
Sacramento Kings Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | De'Aaron Fox |
| SG | Buddy Hield |
| SF | Bogdan Bogdanovic |
| PF | Nemanja Bjelica |
| C | Willie Cauley-Stein |
Contents
Kings Analysis
The Kings are coming into this game with some extended rest after the Lakers game, and they’ve won six of their last 10 games.
Sacramento has been turning some heads this season by being right in the thick of things in the Western Conference. It’s been a mixture between younger up-and-coming stars and veterans that have the Kings looking much improved this season.
Nemanja Bjelica was a very unheralded offseason signing for Sacramento and he’s having a career year in Sacramento. Iman Shumpert, who had bounced around between the Knicks and Cavaliers, seems to be having a resurgent year in Sacramento. His leadership and defense have been welcome additions. At the same time Fox, Buddy Hield, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Bogdanaovic have been solid all season, giving coach Dave Joerger and the Kings a solid foundation.
Kings Quick Links: Kings Starting Lineup, Kings Roster, Kings Depth Chart, Kings Injuries, Kings News, Kings Schedule
Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers Betting Odds
The Kings are the favorites heading into tonight’s game by a razor-thin margin of -1. The over/under is set at 232 points, and there has only been minimal movement on the moneyline with Sacramento opening at -120 and now live at -115. Los Angeles opened at +100 and are now -105.
Although the Lakers will be at home, they only have a 43.6 win percentage at Staples Center and are 61-158 as the underdog. Sacramento is 51-89 on the road but 40-26 as the favorite.
Odds & Line Movement Links: Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Vegas Odds (All NBA Games Today)
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DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Picks
As I said for their last game, with LeBron James out, there really aren’t any stud picks in this game, so the value picks are once again Kyle Kuzma and De’Aaron Fox.
Kuzma ($7.2k) has followed a standout rookie season with a sophomore campaign that clearly has him looking like a future all-star. He’s projected for 38.9 points on FanDuel tonight. Fox ($9k) is also having an incredible sophomore campaign. He’s expected to finish with 38.45 points.
Find all of our Fanduel and Draftkings projections here: https://www.lineups.com/nba/nba-fantasy-basketball-projections.
