Kings vs. Cavaliers NBA expert prediction and odds for Monday, Feb. 5 (Can Kings cover?)
By Peter Dewey
The Sacramento Kings are on the road for the final game of a seven-game road trip – a trip they have dominated so far, going 5-1.
Sacramento now runs into the hottest team in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have won nine of their last 10 games and five straight to pull within half a game of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland has benefitted from an easy schedule since the start of 2024, but the team is beating just about everyone it plays. That’s led to the Cavs coming into this game as sizable favorites at home.
Can De’Aaron Fox and company continue their road success this season and end the trip on an even higher note than it’s at right now?
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Let’s examine the latest odds and my best bet for this game:
Kings vs. Cavaliers odds, spread and total
Kings vs. Cavaliers how to watch
- Date: Monday, Jan. 5
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
- How to watch (TV): Bally Sports Ohio, NBC Sports California
- Kings record: 29-19
- Cavs record: 31-16
Kings vs. Cavaliers injury reports
Sacramento Kings injury report
- Jordan Ford – out
- Jalen Slawson – out
- Sasha Vezenkove – questionable
Cleveland Cavaliers injury report
- Jarrett Allen – questionable
- Emoni Bates – out
- Ty Jerome – out
- Isaiah Mobley – out
- Tristan Thompson – out
Kings vs. Cavaliers key players to watch
Sacramento Kings
De’Aaron Fox: After slumping a little in late January, Fox dropped 41 points in the Kings’ win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. The star guard is now averaging 27.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 47.0 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from 3. Fox had 28 points in a 12-point win over Cleveland earlier this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell: Is Donovan Mitchell an MVP candidate? It’s starting to look like that with the Cavs jumping in the Eastern Conference standings. Mitchell is averaging 28.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game this season, and he’s posted seven straight games with 23 or more points. He had just 22 points in the first meeting with SAC, so this could be a revenge game for the Cavs star.
Kings vs. Cavaliers prediction and pick
The Cavs are red hot, but I am going to sell high on them in this spot.
When you look at Cleveland’s schedule since 2024, it’s really only played four to five tough games.
Since the start of 2024 Cavs have played:
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards twice
- San Antonio Spurs twice
- Brooklyn Nets
- Chicago Bulls
- Atlanta Hawks
- Orlando Magic
- Milwaukee Bucks three times
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Detroit Pistons
- Memphis Grizzlies
Only the Clippers, Bucks, and Magic are over .500 this season, so Cleveland hasn't had to work much in these games.
While the team is much more talented with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley now healthy, can we trust the Cavs to cover the number?
I don’t think so.
The Kings are the best team in the NBA against the spread as a road underdog, going 8-3 ATS as road dogs.
While the Cavs have the best net rating in the NBA over their last 10 games, the Kings are ninth in that statistic against much tougher teams. Sacramento has beaten Golden State, Dallas, Memphis, Indiana, and Chicago on this road trip, only losing to the Miami Heat.
I like the Kings to cover the number on Monday.
Pick: Kings +4.5 (-112)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.