Getty Buddy Hield #24 of the Sacramento Kings reacts after a play against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on January 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Sacramento Kings look to continue making a playoff push when they visit the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. The Kings are 4.5 games behind the Jazz and Clippers for No. 8 seed in the Western Conference while the Celtics are coming off a tough road loss in Los Angeles.
Thursday, March 14 at 7:30 PM ET
TD Garden
Coverage: NBA League Pass
*All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by Bookmaker
- Kings vs. Celtics (-7.5 at -110)
- Over/Under: 228 at -110
Recent Takeaways
De’Aaron Fox scored 23 points and Nemanja Bjelica added 15 points and 12 rebounds off the bench but the Kings still lost their sixth straight game in Washington, 121-115 last Monday.
The Kings erased a 14-point, first quarter deficit and a 12-point edge the Wizards built in the third and they went just 1-for-7 in the last 3:41 minutes. Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes added 15 points apiece but Sacramento turned the ball over 17 times and went 9-for-27 (33.3 percent) from 3-point range.
This sums it up pretty well: three Celtics battling for the ball and it ends with easy points for Harrell. Clippers had 18 more rebounds overall (47-29).
The Celtics had their three-game road winning streak in California snapped with a 140-115 loss against the Clippers last Monday. Terry Rozier had a team-high 26 points, Jaylen Brown scored 22 and Kyrie Irving added 18.
It was the most points the Celtics have allowed in Brad Stevens’ six seasons as their head coach and only the fourth time they’ve given up 140 points or more in a regular season game since 1990. Jayson Tatum missed the game due to right shoulder soreness but he’s expected to play tonight.
Kings vs. Celtics Trends and Prediction
The Sacramento Kings are:
- 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games following a straight up loss
- 29-11-1 ATS in their last 41 games against Eastern Conference opponents
- 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game
The Boston Celtics are:
- 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight games against Western Conference opponents
- 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game
- 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games against Pacific Division opponents
These two teams met on March 6 and the Celtics won 111-109 after a game-winning shot from Gordon Hayward. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 24 points, Al Horford finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Hayward added with 12 points.
Kyrie Irving didn’t play because of a bruised left thigh but the Celtics prevailed despite getting outscored 44-36 in the paint and 23-9 on fast break points. Harrison Barnes had 24 points and eight rebounds for the Kings and Buddy Hield added 23 points.
If the Kings want to win this game they need Buddy Hield to shoot better from beyond the arc. Hield scored 23 points in the first meeting against the Celtics, making 4 of 9 3-point shots but he was just 1-for-9 from 3-point range against the Wizards.
The Kings haven’t played well at TD Garden, losing their last five games there but they’re capable of putting up points, ranking 10th in the NBA, averaging 113.7 points per game and they can keep up with the Celtics here. Kings +7.5 is a strong play, this is a must-win game for them and the Celtics are coming off a long road trip.
Pick: Kings +7.5
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