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Sacramento is facing another year of rebuilding while the Pelicans hope the pairing of Cousins, who they acquired from the Kings in a trade last season, and Anthony Davis will lead this team to the playoffs. While both are talented players, it hasn’t resulted in team success yet.
There is doubt about whether Davis will be healthy enough to play in this one, which would put more on Cousins’ plate in his return to Sacramento.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Golden One Center at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 26, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The spread will be hard to peg until Davis’ health situation is more clear. If he can play, the Pelicans might be the road favorites. Without him, this one figures to be more of a toss-up. New Orleans would have the best player on the court in Cousins but the home court advantage would help even out the odds.
Either way, this could be a competitive matchup that is expected to come down to the final few minutes.
Injury Report
Davis left the Pelicans’ game on Tuesday with a knee injury. An MRI was negative, which is good news, although the severity isn’t yet pinned down. Davis has been bother by knee injuries in the past, but this one has been pegged as just a day-to-day injury.
While it doesn’t seem to be a long-term issue, Davis’ availability for this game is cloudy. He was averaging 31.7 points, 16.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game before that contest, which are just monster numbers. Davis is one of the most talented players in the NBA and if he is out it is a significant loss for the Pelicans. Monitor that situation closely.
Key Stat
25. That’s the oldest age of any of the Kings’ top five leading scorers this season. Sacramento decided to deal the mercurial Cousins in the middle of last season and went into a rebuild mode.
Rookie De’Aaron Fox has looked good early on, averaging 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists on the young season. Skal Labissiere, Buddy Hield, WIllie Cauley-Stein and Bogdan Bogdanovich are some of the other youngsters who are showing some promise and looking to establish themselves in the NBA.
Sacramento has some veterans on the team like George Hill, Vince Carter and Zach Randolph, but they are bit players as the Kings want to give the young players some experience. There are bound to be growing pains for this group and only time will tell if they can grow into a legitimate playoff team.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Pelicans have yet to deliver on the promise that accompanied the Cousins trade, and it will be a disappointment if they don’t make the playoffs this season. Capturing winnable road games like this one will be key in that journey.
It’s much tougher if Davis can’t play, but look for a motivated Cousins to have a huge game in this one as the Kings don’t have anyone that can stop him. Take New Orleans to go on the road and grab this victory on the strength of Cousins’ play.
Check out the scoring total. There may not be a ton of defense in this one, and if Davis doesn’t play the Pelicans may be more apt to push the pace, which could lead to more shots and scoring.
NBA Odds: Pelicans 108, Kings 104
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