Sacramento Kings vs Toronto Raptors Preview (12/14/22): Prediction, Starting Lineups, Odds

The Sacramento Kings will be as far away from home as they will be all season when it travels to Toronto to battle the Raptors. Check out the complete, in-depth analysis and breakdown of this game below, as well as the injury reports for both teams, projected starting lineups, and updated odds.

Sacramento Kings Vs. Toronto Raptors Betting Odds

The Sacramento Kings are five-point underdogs against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night. Sacramento won’t have Alex Len available, but he has mostly been a non-rotational player this season. In other words, it will have its entire rotation healthy. Meanwhile, the Raptors will miss several players: O.G. Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, Otto Porter Jr, and Juancho Hernangomez are all unavailable.

Sacramento Kings Vs. Toronto Raptors Prediction

Sacramento has been arguably the biggest surprise this season; it is currently in seventh in the Western Conference and merely one game from fourth place. The Kings’ success has been heavily predicated on the efficiency of their offense. The good news is that their offense has been amongst the top in the league. Sacramento ranks sixth in offensive rating, fifth in eFG% (effective field goal percentage), and second in points per game.

If Sacramento can improve its three-point percentages, which should come when Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray shoot to their capabilities, this team will be challenging to beat. Slight improvements on the defensive end can also catapult the Kings to contender status in a tough Western Conference.

Toronto is dealing with multiple injuries to key players, including O.G. Anunoby, Otto Porter Jr, and Precious Achiuwa. Christian Koloko has done a fabulous job stepping in and protecting the rim for the Raptors in limited minutes, but losing the offense of Porter and the defense of Anunoby is going to take a toll.

In their only game without O.G., the Raptors lost by double-digits to the Orlando Magic. Sadly, I see a similar result at home against Sacramento. The Raptors don’t have the offense needed to keep pace with the Kings, nor the defense to stop them. Ranking in the bottom five in eFG% and opponent eFG% usually is not conducive to getting wins against elite offensive teams.

Betting Trends

• Sacramento is 8-5 ATS on the road in 2022-23
• Toronto is 9-4 ATS at home in 2022-23
• The combined over record of these two teams is 24-27-1 in 2022-23

Key Matchups

The key matchup between the Kings and Raptors will feature Sacramento’s offense and Toronto’s defense. Take a look below to see why this matchup will dictate the winner of the game!

Sacramento’s High-Powered Offense vs. Toronto’s Defense

As far as key matchups go, this one is not too competitive. The Raptors have been mediocre on the defensive end of the floor, ranking 27th in opponent eFG%. Sure, they hold opponents to a modest amount of points and defend the three-point line well, but teams are still scoring at an effective clip.

A large portion of the little bit of success that they’ve had on that end of the floor can be attributed to O.G. Anunoby’s efforts. Anunoby is listed as the second favorite in many sportsbooks to win Defensive Player of the Year. His brilliance on defense can not be overstated; he has an elite combination of size, length, quickness, and anticipation that makes it difficult on any opposing star. The only problem: Anunoby won’t be available for this game. Advantage: Sacramento.

Sacramento Kings Starting Lineup

PG: De’Aaron Fox
SG: Kevin Huerter
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: Keegan Murray
C: Domantas Sabonis

Toronto Raptors Starting Lineups

PG: Fred VanVleet
SG: Gary Trent Jr
SF: Scottie Barnes
PF: Pascal Siakam
C: Christian Koloko

Key Injuries

Sacramento Kings Injuries: Alex Len (Out)

Toronto Raptors Injuries: Otto Porter Jr (Out), O.G. Anunoby (Out), Juancho Hernangomez (Out). Precious Achiuwa (Out)