Clippers vs. Kings Prediction, Picks for Wednesday, Nov. 29
Here's everything you need to know about Clippers vs. Kings on Wednesday, Nov. 29 — our expert prediction and betting picks for today.
Fresh off their thrilling comeback win over the Warriors, the Sacramento Kings will welcome the slumping Clippers to town on the second night of a back-to-back. With the rest advantage and some positive trends, can LA pick up a big win on the road here on Wednesday?
Let's get to our Clippers vs. Kings prediction and pick.
Clippers vs. Kings Prediction
Pick: Clippers ML (-112)
Clippers Betting Preview
The Clippers may enter this one having lost two of three, but there are some encouraging signs with this team. Sure, the offense has come and gone, but on defense this team has done an excellent job over the past five games with a league-best 105.3 defensive rating over that time. On top of that, while Ivica Zubac has seen his minutes decline since the James Harden trade, the Clippers are sixth in rebounding rate in those five games and have found a way to stay competitive in the frontcourt despite running PJ Tucker out as the small-ball five.
LA ranks third in three-point defense according to Cleaning the Glass and second in defense in the halfcourt. Despite the up-tempo play we've seen from the Kings, they are right in the middle of the league when it comes to transition frequency and have run more plays in the halfcourt than you may expect. This should open the door for the Clippers to put on another show on defense, and it's worth noting that this team is also running out in transition more than every team except for the Timberwolves. That may put additional pressure on the Kings' defense here.
Kings Betting Preview
We await the injury report for the Kings, but one absence that has been felt in recent games is Keegan Murray. The forward has somewhat shored up a weak frontcourt and missed another game on Tuesday after entering the game as doubtful with a back issue. Those have the tendency to linger, and given he never really had a shot of playing against the Warriors it's very possible he misses this one as well.
Without him, the Kings are even more vulnerable on the glass than their bottom-third ranking in the NBA would indicate. The offensive style hasn't changed all that much without him, given this team will live and die by the three, but it presents a whole host of issues.
The Kings have done a decent job in defending the break, ranking 10th in points per possession in transition, but they've hardly had to defend in transition this year and as a result rank 20th in points per play in that regard. They will be put to the test by a team like the Clippers that likes to get out and run.
Clippers vs Kings Picks, Odds
| Clippers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-1 -110 | 231 -110 / -110 | -112 |
| Kings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+1 -110 | 231 -110 / -110 | -104 |
The Kings were the beneficiaries of a very unique circumstance in their comeback win over the Warriors on Tuesday. Golden State needed a win of 12 or more to advance in the in-season tournament, and once their lead evaporated late in the fourth they let the game get away as emotions swung in the wrong direction.
For the duration, the Kings were denied the chance to light it up from deep, which is how they score most of their points. Their defense wilted on the opposite end, allowing the Warriors to shoot better than 40% from three, and Sacramento was also destroyed on the glass for three and a half quarters.
This is a similarly troubling spot for Sacramento, given the Clippers have been a solid rebounding group despite opting to go small since the acquisition of Harden and Tucker, and they should have an edge in that regard against a weak Kings frontcourt. They profile strikingly similarly to the Warriors, though they do take slightly fewer threes per 100 possessions, and with that I think L.A. should run it up on a tired Sacramento team.
Look for the Clippers' offense to get a boost here against one of the weakest defenses in basketball, particularly in transition, and expect a similarly rough night for the Kings' sharpshooters.
