The Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans face off on Friday night in a win-or-go-home matchup for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
Tuesday’s play-in action went very differently for these teams, as the Kings blew out the Golden State Warriors at home while the Pelicans lost at home to the Los Angeles Lakers, and lost Zion Williamson to a hamstring injury in the process.
That could spell some major trouble for the Pels in this one, and oddsmakers have this game set at a pick’em on Friday night.
How should bettors wager on this matchup with a playoff spot on the line?
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Here’s a look at the odds, key players and my best bet for this matchup:
Kings vs. Pelicans odds, spread and total
Kings vs. Pelicans how to watch
- Date: Friday, April 19
- Time: 9:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Smoothie King Center
- How to watch (TV): TNT
- Kings record: 46-36
- Pelicans record: 49-33
Kings vs. Pelicans injury reports
Kings injury report
- Not submitted yet
Pelicans injury report
- Not submitted yet
Injury to watch: Zion Williamson went down with a hamstring injury in the matchup with the Lakers on Tuesday night. If he can’t go in this game, the Pelicans could be in danger of missing the playoffs.
Kings vs. Pelicans key players to watch
Sacramento Kings
Keegan Murray: With Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk hurt, Keegan Murray was forced to step up against Golden State, and he delivered, shooting 8-for-13 from 3 and scoring 32 points on Tuesday night. If he can be the No. 3 scoring – consistently – for the Kings, they may be able to make things interesting this postseason.
New Orleans Pelicans
Brandon Ingram: If Zion misses this game, Brandon Ingram is going to be called upon to step up for the Pelicans after shooting just 4-for-12 from the field and finishing with 11 points against the Lakers. Ingram was still limited minutes wise (playing just 25), but the Pels may need more from him to have a chance in this one.
Kings vs. Pelicans prediction and pick
I love the Kings in this matchup, as they finished with a 14-9 against the spread record as road dogs this season.
If Williamson sits, the Pels are a must-fade here, as Ingram is clearly not back to 100 percent. New Orleans made a run late against Los Angeles, but its offense collapsed down the stretch without him.
On the season, the Pelicans are just 21-20 straight up at home, a bad sign for the idea of “home-court advantage” here.
The Kings don’t have Monk and Huerter healthy, but they still have their top stars. They’re going to win this game and advance to the playoffs.
Pick: Kings Moneyline (-110)
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.