by Chuck Sommers
Saturday, Jan 28, 2023
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Where to watch: BSNX, NBCSCA
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Kings -3; SAC -150, MIN +130
FanDuel: Kings -3; SAC -148, MIN +126
BetMGM: Kings -2.5; SAC -150, MIN +125
Caesars: Kings -3; SAC -154, MIN +130
Season record
Kings: 27-20
Timberwolves: 26-25
The second half of the basketball season is upon us, and what a cluster we've got in the standings right now, right? So many teams are in the playoff hunt, so many teams not expected to make the playoffs are in the process of trying to prove people wrong. You know who doesn't need to be made wrong? Our champion handicappers who have been killing it all year long. Scott Rickenbach is coming off a 5-2-0 week over the last seven days, while Doc's Sports has been efficient at 14-8-0 over the last 30 days. Do you want to get on this winning? Make sure you're following our champion handicappers at bigal.com to celebrate in these moments!
Kings - Timberwolves preview, prediction and analysis
Recent form
Kings: lost 113-95 vs. Raptors
Timberwolves: won 111-100 vs. Grizzlies
The Sacramento Kings will try to avoid a third loss in four games when it travels to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on Saturday, in a battle of two really good young teams.
The Sacramento Kings will try to avoid a third loss in four games when it travels to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on Saturday, in a battle of two really good young teams.
The Kings, perhaps the league’s biggest surprise, went 2-2 during a four-game homestand that might have produced more disappointment than happiness. Sacramento is coming off a 113-95 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
Kevin Huerter led the Kings with 21 points, which isn’t a good sign because the star players had off nights. De’Aaron Fox had just 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting, and Domantas Sabonis was held to just 9 points. Keegan Murray continued his solid rookie run with 16 points, but the Kings fell victim due to 19 turnovers to only Toronto’s nine.
“They kicked our behind on the glass,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “It’s hard to beat a team when a team gets 25 more shots than you do.”
The Kings have been on a tremendous 7-3 run in their last 10, but after covering five straight, the Kings are just 1-2-1 against the spread in their last four. The under has also been a play in three of the last four, which is wild involving the top-scoring offense in the NBA that is Sacramento.
“I have to play better,” said Sacramento's Malik Monk, who shot 2 for 7 overall. “That’s it ... shot’s just not going in. They’re going to start falling.”
The Timberwolves are looking for a fourth win in five games in this matchup. Minnesota is coming off a 111-102 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, which might be considered a solid win considering New Orleans got All-Star forward Brandon Ingram back after two months.
But on the night where Ingram returned, it was Anthony Edwards continuing his dominance with a game-high 37 points, and Rudy Gobert added 17 points and 12 rebounds to get back to .500 this season. It hasn’t been the easiest of years for the Wolves, who are still trying to stay afloat before the hopeful return of Karl-Anthony Towns.
“We’re in a position where we want to really stop worrying about the other team," Gobert said. "Regardless of what’s the weather or who’s hurt, whose playing, we know if we come with the right approach, the right mindset, it’s going to be a good game for us.”
The Wolves have covered in four of their last five, but the only times they were favored was the home-and-home against Houston that they split. One can guess they will get points out of this, as well.
Prediction
I think we all expected a Kings letdown at some point, and that’s pretty much what’s happened these last few games. But I highly expect them to bounce back and find a way to outscore these pesky Wolves. Kings 126, Timberwolves 118
Betting trends
Kings are 6-1 ATS as a road favorite this season.
Kings are 13-9 ATS after a non-conference game this season.
Timberwolves are 7-3 ATS as a home underdog this season.
Timberwolves are 18-22 ATS against Pacific Division opponents the last 3 seasons.
Projected starting lineup
Kings:
PG: De'Aaron Fox
SG: Kevin Huerter
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: Keegan Murray
C: Domantas Sabonis
Timberwolves:
PG: D'Angelo Russell
SG: Anthony Edwards
SF: Jaden McDaniels
PF: Kyle Anderson
C: Rudy Gobert
Injury report
Kings: None
Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns (calf, out)
Kings: None
Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns (calf, out)
Statistical leaders
Kings:
Points: De'Aaron Fox -- 23.8
Rebounds: Domantas Sabonis -- 12.4
Assists: Domantas Sabonis -- 7.3
Timberwolves:
Points: Anthony Edwards -- 24.5
Rebounds: Rudy Gobert -- 11.6
Assists: D'Angelo Russell -- 6.3
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Sacramento Kings - Minnesota Timberwolves prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NBA projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
