Nuggets vs. Kings Prediction, Picks for Friday, Feb. 9
Here's everything you need to know about Nuggets vs. Kings on Friday, Feb. 9 — our expert prediction and betting picks for today.
The Denver Nuggets play their second game in as many nights as they travel to Sacramento after defeating the Lakers last night. Can Denver take care of business on the road or will the Kings' rest advantage prove significant?
Let's get to our Nuggets vs. Kings prediction and pick.
Nuggets vs. Kings Prediction
Pick: Nuggets ML (-102)
Nuggets Betting Outlook
The Nuggets played last night and we will have to keep an eye on the injury report to determine if anyone rests on the back-to-back. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (hamstring) did not play last night so we need to check his status today.
Denver has been one of the league's best teams this season and is a clear title contender yet again. However, they have not been as good on the road this season sitting at 15-12 compared to 21-4 at home.
Denver has been strong on both sides of the ball, with the sixth-best Adjusted Offensive Rating (119.0) and the 11th-best Adjusted Defensive Rating (114.2), per Dunks and Threes. They relentlessly attack the rim and get to the rack at the fourth-highest frequency in the league. The Kings have limited that type of attempt; however, their opponents are shooting the third-highest percentage at the rim this season.
ESPN Bet is now live! Make sure you're ready for all the action with our exclusive ESPN BET promo code TANBONUS.
Kings Betting Outlook
The Kings have the rest advantage here and are looking to bounce back after a loss to the hapless Detroit Pistons. The Kings will be without Chris Duarte (ankle) but the rest of their rotation is intact.
The Kings sit in 7th in the West at 29-21 and they have the 15th-best Adjusted Net Rating (+0.4). The offense is not as dominant as last season's at just 14th and the defense is rough again in 20th.
One of the Kings' offensive traits has been to take a flurry of threes but this matchup against the Nuggets will be difficult to do so. The Nuggets surrender the third-lowest frequency of 3-point attempts.
One of the matchups I'm interested in is Sabonis vs Jokic. In the four games they've played head-to-head since Sabonis joined the Kings, Jokic has averaged 29.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 10.0 assists. In those games, Sabonis averaged 23.8 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. This should be a battle on the interior to watch and I'll look at Jokic points or triple-double.
Nuggets vs. Kings Picks, Odds
| Nuggets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+1 -110 | 233.5 -110 / -110 | -102 |
| Kings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-1 -110 | 233.5 -110 / -110 | -118 |
These teams played on November 2 this season and the Kings emerged victorious 123-117. Both teams were in the second game of a back-to-back but a major swing was Denver shot just 24% from 3-point range including 1-for-5 from MPJ.
Here, the Nuggets' bench has more experience and more time playing together compared to two months ago which is critically important. The Nuggets have been the better team and the Kings have struggled against top talent. In 18 games against Top 10 teams in Net Rating, they are -8.7 with a 7-11 record; however, they have 2.3 more wins than expected, per Cleaning the Glass.
This is a spot to back Denver, and I'll grab them on the moneyline.
Pick: Nuggets ML (-102)
