New York Knicks (40-23 SU, 29-34 ATS) vs. Sacramento Kings (33-30 SU, 28-34 ATS)

When: Monday, March 10th, 10:30 PM (ET)

Where: Golden 1 Center, CA, Sacramento

TV: NBCS

Point Spread: NY -2.5/Sac +2.5

Total: 221

Money Line: New York Knicks -132/+111

Notable Injuries

Knicks

• Jalen Brunson (Out) Ankle
• Ariel Hukporti (Out) Knee

Kings

• Jae Crowder (Questionable) Lower Back
• Domantas Sabonis (Out) Hamstring
• Malik Monk (Questionable) Toe

At 10:30 ET, the Knicks (-132) will take on the Kings (+111) in a non-conference matchup. New York is currently favored by 2.5 points and has dropped three straight games. The over/under line for this game is 221.

This game will be played at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento and can be seen on NBCS. The Knicks are 40-23 and sit 3rd in the Eastern Conference, while the Kings are 33-30 and 9th in the West.

Recent Form

The Knicks fell to 40-23 on the season after a 105-95 road loss to the Clippers on Friday. New York entered the game as +6.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points of 200 fell short of the 218-point over/under line.

New York went on a 10-0 run early, but the Clippers responded, and the game was tight heading into the 4th quarter with the Knicks trailing 79-78. However, they were outscored 26-17 in the final period, leading to the loss.

The Kings fell to 33-30 on the season after a 111-110 loss to the Clippers on Sunday. Sacramento was +6.5 point underdogs on the road but managed to cover the spread, losing by just one point. The total score of 221 points went over the pre-game line of 216.5.

Sacramento went on a 10-0 run, stretching their lead from 63-55 to 73-55, but the Clippers responded, outscoring the Kings 25-22 in the 4th quarter to take the win.

The Historicals

Across the previous five meetings between the teams, the Knicks have an average scoring margin of +10 points per game, leading to an ATS mark of 4-1. A combined average of 226 points per game was achieved in these matchups, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Analysis

The Knicks struggled offensively in their 95-point effort against the Clippers, shooting just 38.5% from the field and 26.5% from three, making only nine threes in the game. Karl-Anthony Towns led the team with 23 points and 10 rebounds, though he shot 38.1% from the floor, while Mikal Bridges contributed 22 points on 66.7% shooting.

Josh Hart was a force on the boards, grabbing 20 rebounds to go along with 14 points. He also scored 9 of his points in the opening quarter. Towns did most of his damage in the 2nd quarter, scoring 10 points, but was limited to just 2 points in the final period.

Even with a strong defensive effort, the Knicks couldn’t overcome the Clippers, allowing 105 points on 42% shooting. New York’s defense improved in the 3rd quarter, where they gave up just 19 points, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.

The Knicks struggled to contain the Clippers from beyond the arc, giving up 15 threes on 39% shooting. They also sent the Clippers to the line 19 times, where they hit 16 free throws. New York finished with 39 defensive rebounds, six steals, and four blocks.

DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 31 points and 10 assists in their 111-110 loss to the Clippers, shooting 45% from the field. Zach LaVine added 30 points, hitting 54.5% of his shots, while Keegan Murray contributed 15 points, connecting on three threes at a 50% rate.

The Kings struggled from beyond the arc, making just nine threes at 26.5% shooting, though they shot 46% overall. DeRozan scored 10 points in overtime, while LaVine added three more in the extra period.

Even with a strong defensive effort in the 1st and 3rd quarters, the Kings couldn’t hold off the Clippers, who shot 53% from the field. Sacramento gave up 31 points in the 2nd quarter but limited the damage from beyond the arc, allowing just 10 threes on 32% shooting.

The Kings sent the Clippers to the line 25 times, where they hit 15 free throws. Sacramento controlled the boards, giving up only three offensive rebounds, and finished with six steals and one block.

Betting Trends

• Across their five previous road games, New York has an ATS mark of 1-4. Their straight-up record in these matchups was 2-3 while averaging 107 points per game.
• Through their last ten home contests, the Kings offense has averaged 117 points per game while allowing an average of 113. Sacramento posted an overall record of 6-4 while going 7-3 ATS.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Sacramento has an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 3-7 straight up.
• Over the team’s last five games as the favorite, the Knicks struggled vs the spread going just 0-5. However, they still had a straight-up mark of 4-1.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

Tonight, we have an interesting non-conference matchup between the Knicks and Kings, with the Knicks as the -2.5 point favorite. There are some key injuries for both sides, as Jalen Brunson is out for the Knicks, while Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk are out for the Kings. I see New York struggling without Brunson tonight, and I have the Kings covering as +2.5 point underdogs.