The Los Angeles Clippers are winners of three straight and have locked in the eighth seed, which means they will face off with the Timberwolves next Tuesday for the right to be the seven seed and try their best to avoid playing the No. 1 seed Suns in the first round.
However, tonight they'll take on the Sacramento Kings who despite being out of the playoff picture for quite some time have played competitively, and have won two of the first games of the season series between the two.
Find out who we're siding with in our free NBA betting picks and predictions for the Kings vs. Clippers matchup on Saturday, April 9.
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Kings vs Clippers odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Clippers opened as 11-point favorites and have since moved to a slightly juiced -11 at -115. The total opened at 225.5 and moved as high as 226.5, but has since moved down to 224.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Kings vs Clippers predictions
Predictions made on 4/9/2022 at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Kings vs Clippers game info
• Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
• Date: Saturday, April 9, 2022
• Tip-off: 9:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBCS-CA, Bally Sports
Kings vs Clippers betting preview
Key injuries
Kings: De'Aaron Fox G (Out), Domantas Sabonis F (Out), Alex Len C (Out).
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard F (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Kings have played 19-8 to the Over in their last 27 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Kings vs. Clippers.
Kings vs Clippers picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
In the closing moments of March, things were beginning to look just a tad bit grim for the Clippers. An overtime loss in Cleveland kicked off a five-game losing streak, dropping games to the exact caliber of teams (Raptors, Jazz, Nuggets, Sixers) the Clippers would need to beat in April and May to make good on this playoff push.
Since then they have won four of their last five games, with their wins coming against the likes of Utah, Milwaukee, New Orleans (who are 8-3 in its last 11), and Phoenix, with their lone loss coming in overtime against Chicago. It comes as no surprise that this flip of the switch has coincided exactly with the return of star forward Paul George.
| Pre-Injury | Without Paul George | Return of PG-13 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record | 17-15 | 19-24 | 4-1 |
| Net RTG | 0.7 (13th) | -3.5 (22nd) | 11.3 (3rd) |
| OFF RTG | 105.9 (25th) | 109.2 (25th) | 126.4 (1st) |
| DEF RTG | 105.3 (4th) | 112.8 (17th) | 115.1 (14th) |
| Pace | 99.2 (11th) | 97.9 (21st) | 98.5 (21st) |
And when looking at the splits, the picture being painted is clear. George is a hell of a scorer, and ever since his return the Clippers have posted the best offensive rating in the league (admittedly in a small sample). But on top of being a high-end scorer, PG-13 is often applauded for being a top-tier defender at his position.
When looking at their splits before and after his injury (but before his return), the gap in their defensive performance is beyond noticeable. But there hasn't been as big of a jump on that end since his return, which actually may be a good thing.
If the Clippers can sustain anything near this level of offensive efficiency while closing the gap between their current defensive play and previously displayed defensive ceiling, they pose a serious threat to the Western Conference.
And Ty Lue, arguably the most under-appreciated head coach in the league, is as good as any to help navigate that. A coach like that isn't one that is going to take a game against a Kings team missing De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis lightly.
And while Alvin Gentry had Sacramento putting up good fights while there was an outside chance it could sneak into the play-in (going 9-5 ATS from late February to late March), it has gone 1-4 against the spread (including 0-3 as underdogs) and has seemingly thrown in the towel.
Prediction: Clippers -11.5 (-11.5 at DraftKings)
Over/Under analysis
The Kings hit the Over at the fifth-highest rate with a 44-35-1 (55.7%), and they have played 19-8 that way since early February. That includes an 8-2 stretch across their last ten, likely a result of increased pace and less defensive emphasis as a result of their elimination from playoff contention.
And given the Clippers' elevated offensive performance as of late, it should come as no surprise that they are 5-2 to the Over in their last seven. Sacramento has also played to the Over frequently, but its stretch spans much further back.
Tonight's total of 224 is noticeably higher than the average total of the first three matchups (217.2) but is likely inflated for the aforementioned reasons. To put it into proper context, tonight's total is still low for the Kings as of late with them seeing just one total lower than tonight's since March 7. The Over is most definitely the play tonight.
Prediction: Over 223.5 (-110 at BetMGM)
Best bet
As the regular season comes to a close, these two teams have a very clear gap in terms of where their heads are at. Sacramento is all but checked out and if anything, it wants to get basketball off its minds until it can hit the reset button with its rehauled roster. The Clippers, on the other hand, are firing on all cylinders and Paul George's return has seemingly lit a fire under the team.
The Clips will close their regular season tomorrow against the Thunder, and with no sign of anyone resting for tonight's game, it stands to reason they will give it their all tonight to keep the ball rolling, and then possibly rest tomorrow ahead of their play-in game on Tuesday against the Timberwolves.
Pick: Clippers -11.5 (-11.5 at DraftKings)
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