NBA Best Bets and Bold Predictions: Thunder vs. Kings

Sacramento is a slim home favorite as it goes for its eighth straight win over Oklahoma City.

The Kings have won seven games in a row against the Thunder dating back to 2021, and the two up-and-coming Western Conference teams are set to meet Thursday at the Golden 1 Center for the second time this season.

Sacramento (13–9) lit the beam following a 105–98 victory over Oklahoma City (15–7) about a month ago with De’Aaron Fox sidelined, The Kings are slim favorites to do so once again. The Thunder have had two full days of rest since their 134–120 win over the Jazz, while the Kings had one day to recover from their 119–99 loss to the Clippers.

Both teams have a largely clean bill of health heading into this matchup, which is reflected in the lofty over/under — it’s the highest total of the year for an OKC game and the second-highest for Sacramento.

The Thunder are led by point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander  :: Alonzo Adams/USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Sacramento Kings Odds

Spread: Thunder +1.5 (-110) | Kings -1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: OKC (+105) | SAC (-133)
Total: 243.5 — Over (-118) | Under (-110)
Game Info: Tuesday, Dec. 12 | 7:30 p.m. ET

The Thunder have been the much better team as of late, with a 7–3 record and the No. 2 net rating in the NBA over their last 10 games. They’ve scored 130-plus points in three of their last five games and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has gone over 30 points in four of them. Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 33 points the last time these teams met but he didn’t get much assistance from the likes of Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey and the entire OKC team had an off night from beyond the arc.

The last few weeks have been a bit more difficult for the Kings, who are 5–5 over that same stretch, with the 22nd-best net rating. That can partially be attributed to a trying schedule, which includes signature wins over the Nuggets and Suns. Tuesday’s blowout loss in L.A. was a letdown on the second night of a back-to-back. Prior to that game, which saw no Sacramento player hit 20 points, Fox had scored 30-plus points in four of seven games and Domantas Sabonis had been making his presence felt on the boards.

Winning on the road has been no issue for the Thunder, whose 7–3 record in away games is the best in the NBA. OKC also has the best mark against the spread in such games at 7–2–1. Compare that to the Kings’ 7–3 record straight up and 5–5 mark against the spread on their home floor. Gilgeous-Alexander has three 40-point games this season and two have been in the past month — against a suspect defense like Sacramento in a game with such a high total another offensive eruption is well within reach.

Best Bet: Thunder +1.5 (-110)

Bold Prediction: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scores 40+ Points