Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Sacramento Kings Predictions, Picks and NBA Preview – April 9, 2016

The top two highest scoring teams in the NBA meet for the last time this season when the Oklahoma City Thunder pay DeMarcus Cousins and crew a visit at Sleep Train Arena. Will the Thunder slay Sacramento anew? Or will the Kings tie their regular season series with the Thunder? OKC leads the series, 2-1.

Read on for more about this matchup. You can also check out our preview of Pacers vs. Raptors.

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Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Sacramento Kings Betting Preview

Where: Sleep Train Arena

When: Saturday, April 9, 2016, 10:30 PMET

Line: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Sacramento Kings– view all NBA lines

TV Broadcast: ESPN

Betting on the Oklahoma City Thunder (54-25)

The trend of resting starters in the NBA has been an added wrinkle for bettors this late in the season. Take for example Oklahoma City’s 120-115 loss to Portland on Wednesday.

With Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka all resting, the Thunder were left to rely on a starting unit that featured Enes Kanter, Dion Waiters, and Anthony Morrow. Kanter led OKC with a monster double-double of 33 points and 20 board. Waiters and Morrow, meanwhile, had 25 and 19 points, respectively. They’ll likely be moving back to the bench this Saturday with the usual starters all set to play following a one-game rest.

That smells trouble for Sacramento’s rotten defense that allows 109.1 points per game—the worst in the NBA. Durant has put up 23.5 PPG this season against the Kings, which includes a 27-point performance in a 131-116 road victory on February 29. OKC is 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS in its last seven games in Sacramento dating back to 2012.

As a team, Oklahoma City has averaged 111.0 points on 47.1 percent shooting in three games against Sacramento thus far this season.

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Betting on the Sacramento Kings (31-48)

Saturday’s game will be Sacramento’s last at home this season. The Kings are out of playoff contention and are now merely looking to give their fans something to cheer about before ending this otherwise forgettable campaign.

This game against OKC is also likely DeMarcus Cousins’ last of the season, as the Kings’ management is expected to shut the big man down for the succeeding two outings. Cousins has been an unstoppable force for Sacramento and the Thunder know that, as the mercurial power forward/center has averaged 27.0 points and 13.7 rebounds in three games this season against Oklahoma City.

The Thunder had no answer for boogeyman on January 4, when Cousins erupted for 33 points and pulled down 19 rebounds in a 116-104 road win in Oklahoma City.

Having Rajon Rondo around to feed Cousins the ball is also a plus for the Kings, who may be getting a Thunder team that might not play as hard due to its postseason-lock status.

Rondo, who leads the NBA with 11.7 assists per game, churned out 13 points and an eye-popping total of 19 assists in the Kings’ January win over OKC.

Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last five games as an underdog.

Writer’s Prediction

Oklahoma City wins, 107-100.