Will it be Dame Time on Saturday night BetUS NBA online betting faithful?
Will the Sacramento Kings stop the clock on Lillard and company to improve on their already surprising start?
With the Blazers looking to move above .500 and the Kings looking to take down a team that made the Western Conference playoffs last season, let’s find out which team is offering the best sportsbook betting value in this weekend affair.
Portland Trail Blazers (4-4) at Sacramento Kings (4-4)
When: Saturday, 10 p.m. ET
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
TV: NBCS
NBA Odds: Trail Blazers -5
Total: 236½
Why Bet On Portland
The Blazers evened their record at 4-4 by running roughshod all over Minnesota on Thursday night,135-117. All-Star point guard Damian Lillard scored a team-high 39 points while draining seven 3-pointers. CJ McCollum added 20 points as the Blazers snapped a two-game skid.
“I need to be more aggressive, be in attack mode, just trying to lift the level of urgency from the start,” Lillard said.
Portland is ranked an encouraging fifth in scoring (117.0 ppg), despite ranking 22nd in field goal shooting percentage (44.6%). The Blazers have been awful defensively in allowing 118.0 points per contest (22nd). McCollum, Carmelo Anthony, and Gary Trent Jr. are all shooting over 40.0% from beyond the arc.
Why Bet On Sacramento
Sacramento recorded a 128-124 home win over Chicago on Wednesday as Ricuan Holmes scored a team-high 24 points on 11-for-12 shooting from the field while Marvin Bagley III added 21 points and 12 rebounds. Buddy Hield converted a four-point play with 38 seconds after missing 12 of his first 14 shots.
“I was joking that the only reason he made the last one is somebody hit him in the head,” King’s coach Luke Walton said. “It knocked off his calibration. The only time I ever worry about Buddy shooting is if he turns down a shot, and I haven’t seen him do that yet.”
Sacramento is ranked 12th in scoring (112.8 ppg), but an uninspiring 24th in points allowed (117.6 ppg).
Expert Analysis and Prediction
The Kings have beaten the Nuggets twice and Phoenix once. Six players are averaging double figures in scoring, including impressive rookie Tyrese Haliburton who is putting up 11.7 points per game on 51.0 percent shooting from the field.
Still, for this contest, I’m going with Portland to get the outright road win. Lillard knows he needs to get his team some much-needed victories in the loaded Western Conference. I’m expecting a good effort from the Blazers and the Kings will be playing on consecutive nights.
Sacramento has gone 0-3 ATS over their last three while the Blazers have split their last four against the spread. Portland wins by a half-dozen.
Prediction: Blazers 121, Kings 115
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