Kings vs. 76ers Prediction, Picks for Friday, Jan. 12
Here's everything you need to know about Kings vs. 76ers on Friday, Jan. 12 — our expert prediction and betting picks for today.
The Sacramento Kings continue their Eastern Conference road trip with a Friday night matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. For the 76ers, this is the first game of a three-game home stand for them and it is only the second game they have played this week.
Let's get to our Kings vs. 76ers prediction and pick.
Kings vs. 76ers Prediction
Pick: Kings ML (-108)
Kings Betting Outlook
The Kings have listed Kevin Huerter (ankle) as questionable for tonight's game but remain healthy otherwise. For the season, the Kings are 23-14 with the 14th-ranked Adjusted Net Rating (+0.4). They've been a bit more balanced this season, with the 11th-ranked offense and 18th-ranked defense, per Dunks and Threes.
The Kings have been demonstrably better with De'Aaron Fox on the floor. He has a +11.3 point differential on the season and has been their best player. The team is 20-11 with him compared to 3-3 without him and they've scored about 14 more points per game when he has played. Here, the Kings should see some offensive success.
The Kings have taken the third-highest frequency of three-pointers in the league and are shooting 37.6% from deep as a team, per Cleaning the Glass. The Sixers have done a good job of limiting those opportunities; however, without Joel Embiid, the entire Sixers' defense will suffer. With the interior open more, it should set up better looks from the perimeter for Sabonis and Fox to get into the paint and kick.
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76ers Betting Outlook
The Philadelphia 76ers continue to be without Joel Embiid (knee) who will be missing his third consecutive game and his seventh in nine games. He is an MVP Candidate, is leading the league in scoring, and is their defensive anchor. His absence cannot be understated. The team is just 2-7 without him compared to 21-6 with him. They score about nine fewer points per game when he sits and have just struggled overall.
One player that you would expect to perform well in these spots is Tyrese Maxey, and while his numbers are solid 25.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, those are actually slight downturns for him compared to his numbers playing alongside Embiid – he has not been able to take the expanded offensive role and convert it to a greater raw output.
One player I think should have a good game is De'Anthony Melton. It's his second game back but he has averaged 15.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists without Embiid. He's coming off a 21-minute performance against Atlanta but given that was a return from an absence for him it's reasonable to expect an uptick in minutes here. We don't have a line at the time of this writing, but 2.5 three-pointers would be a look against a Kings team that has been vulnerable above the break.
Kings vs. 76ers Picks, Odds
| Kings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+1 -112 | 241 -110 / -110 | -108 |
| 76ers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-1 -104 | 241 -110 / -110 | -108 |
While the 76ers have been better over the course of the entire season, they severely miss Joel Embiid. Here, the Kings are relatively healthy and they should be able to find success offensively against a slightly undersized Philadelphia team.
I expect De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis to have strong performances tonight and think this is a solid game. I like Sabonis to exceed his 7.5 assists line tonight as well.
The Kings should take care of business on the road, and I'll grab them on the moneyline.
Pick: Kings ML (-108)
