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NBA Odds – Sacramento Kings at Phoenix Suns

Zack Garrison

by Zack Garrison in News

Updated Jan 17, 2018 · 9:40 AM PST

Sacramento Kings at Phoenix Suns (-5.5)

Tonight, Pacific Division rivals square off as the Sacramento Kings land in Phoenix to face the Suns (9:00 p.m. Eastern).

In the last ten head-to-head games, the Suns lead the series 6-4; Phoenix has also taken two straight.

The Suns are 3-2 on the year so far, and have leaned on the offense to get Ws, averaging 101.4 PPG. They have been decent on the glass in the early going, averaging 44.0 RPG, seventh in the NBA. Despite the winning record, the Suns are surrendering more points than they score, averaging  103.0 per night (24th in the NBA).

The Suns are led by point guard Isaiah Thomas. The former-King, who is averaging over 18 points and four assists per game in the early going, will be looking to burn his former team tonight. Power forward Markieff Morris is off to his best start ever for Phoenix. Last year, the fourth-year man out of Kansas averaged double-figures (13.8 PPG) for the first time in his career. This year, he has been even better, pouring in 17.6 PPG.  Morris is also second on the team in rebounding at 7.2 RPG. The Suns will be looking for a little more out of Eric Bledsoe (13.4 PPG), whom they signed to a five-year, $70 million contract in the off-season.

The Kings are off to a surprise 4-1 start thanks, in large part, to the play of DeMarcus Cousins.  The former Kentucky standout is averaging 24 points and just over 10 rebounds per night. Guard Rudy Gay has also been integral to the Kings’ early success, averaging 24.4 PPG.  The Kings have been vacuums on the glass, scooping up 48.8 RPG, second in the league. By keeping the ball out of opponents’ hands, the Kings have been able to improve their scoring defense by over four points per game versus last season, when they gave up 103.4 a night.

The odds-makers are not buying into the Kings’ fast start just yet, though. The Suns are 4.5-point favorites. Being under-valued on the road is nothing new for the Kings, who are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 away from home.

(Photo credit: Mike (Flickr: (2013-12-21) Kings at Magic 21) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)

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