The Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings were both supposed to be going through another painful rebuilding season in 2016-17. Sacramento seems headed down that path, but there is a glimmer of hope for the Lakers.
Los Angeles will hit the road to take on the Kings, hoping to continue a start which has turned some heads around the NBA. The shocker was a recent rout of the NBA title favorite Golden State Warriors. The Lakers’ young players are growing up fast and hope to help push for an unlikely playoff berth.
At 10:30 p.m. ET, tune into TNT for live television coverage of this NBA basketball game on Thursday, November 10, 2016, at the Golden 1 Center.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Lakers are 4-3 straight up and 6-1 against the spread this season, which illustrates the job they have done exceeding expectations. Los Angeles has covered three of four games on the road this season but could be favored in this one, which will make it a higher degree of difficulty compared to past game where it was getting points as the underdog.
The Kings are 3-5 straight up and 3-4-1 against the spread. Sacramento has been better at home against the spread, covering once and pushing once in its two games there thus far. The Kings could be a home underdog in this one.
Player to Watch
D’Angelo Russell - The Lakers’ strong start has been on the back of a pair young players, and led by their improving point guard. Russell took a back seat last year to Kobe Bryant, but with Kobe off to retirement, Russell has taken on a much bigger role.
He is averaging 16.7 points to lead the team and is adding 4.7 assists. Russell was one of the top picks in the draft a couple years ago and could really kickstart the rebuilding process if he progresses into the star many expect.
The other important cog is forward Julius Randle. He is averaging 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, giving the Lakers an impressive low-post threat. Randle was great in the surprising blowout win of the Warriors, scoring 20 points and adding 14 rebounds.
Key Stat
Four. The consecutive loss streak the Kings snapped last time out. Sacramento went on a five-game road trip and couldn’t come away with a single victory until the final matchup against the Raptors.
The Kings were knocked off by the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks. Luckily, Sacramento is back at home for this one, where it is 1-1 on the season with the only loss coming to the powerhouse Spurs.
While Sacramento needs a lot of help to turn this season around, playing at home is always a big help. That should help make this game a competitive one.
Free NBA ATS Picks
It’s still early, but the Lakers’ start is at least piquing the interest of gamblers. It will be interesting to see how oddsmakers treat this game, as the Kings likely would have been the favorites in this one before the season started but now it’s possible that line shifts.
Los Angeles still will be hard-pressed to push for the postseason since it has so many young players, but the early returns have been good. Russell, Randle and the others should improve as they get more experience but are still prone to making mistakes.
The Kings have the best player on the court in DeMarcus Cousins, as he is averaging 26.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Rudy Gay is another solid player, but there is very little help there.
The Lakers have the better depth, and expect their early-season surprise to keep rolling along with a road win over the Kings.
NBA Odds: Lakers 112, Kings 108
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