Kings vs Clippers Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Overthrowing the Kings

The LA Clippers have found their groove, winning five of their last six games behind excellent play on the defensive end and some renewed explosiveness on offense. Now, their form will be put to the test once more against a devastating Sacramento Kings offense.

Can the Clippers keep up their winning ways at home and find away to cover the NBA odds as well?

Let's get right into it with our in-depth preview and free NBA picks for Kings vs. Clippers on Tuesday, December 12. 

Kings vs Clippers odds

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Kings vs Clippers predictions

Simply put, the Los Angeles Clippers have done their job at home. They’ve started the season going 8-3 straight up in these games and while their 5-6 record against the spread doesn’t sound all that appetizing it looks quite nice next to their 9-13 overall record against the spread.

The Sacramento Kings are also 0-2 ATS this season on the second night of a back-to-back, and the Clippers are a solid 24-20-1 ATS in these spots since Ty Lue took over as head coach.

So, this is already a precarious spot for the Kings before you dig deeper into the matchup. L.A. has done an exceptional job on the perimeter this season, ranking sixth in 3-point defense according to Cleaning the Glass and they’ve done a decent enough job around the rim, too, ranking 13th in that regard. All told, this is one of the most complete defenses in the league, ranking eighth in overall efficiency and sixth in the halfcourt.

The Kings have been living and dying by the three, sitting third in shot frequency from downtown, and that makes this spot a very advantageous one. When you mix in the ability of L.A. to slow Domantas Sabonis down low with an improving frontcourt defense aided by Daniel Theis, this Kings offense is going to appear significantly tamer than it’s been for most of the season.

On the other side of the coin, the Clippers’ offense has grown in recent games, watching them come up with 132 points in a win on Monday over Portland, and with Sacramento coming in ranked 25th against the mid-range jumper and 27th against the three the strengths of the Clippers should shine here.

L.A. ran the Kings off the floor late last month in a 131-117 win and I think we’ll see another strong showing from Lue on the second night of a back-to-back.

My best bet: Clippers -3 (-110 at DraftKings)

Kings vs Clippers same-game parlay

Clippers -3

James Harden Over 17.5 points

Paul George Over 2.5 three-pointers made

+393 at FanDuel

We know that while Kawhi Leonard may be the best player on this team, the offense is consistently carried by James Harden and Paul George. Both had a very fun time playing against the Kings last time out, totaling 45 points, and I think these two should feature once again on Tuesday.

We’ve covered the Kings’ abysmal 3-point defense above, and now it’s time to put it to the test. I’m very confident in betting George to hit this number at this price, given even in a minor shooting slump over the last two games he’s still managed to knock down at least two threes. We’ve also seen him shoot triples at an incredibly high volume, taking eight or more in five of his last six games. With the way the Kings defend the three, I think we’ll see George’s stroke come back. Let’s also remember that he hit four threes when these two teams last met and factor in that he’s shot 41.9% from three at home and 35.4% on the road.

This is a similarly great spot to play Harden’s points given the state of the Kings’ perimeter defense, but unlike George, I’m a bit scared to play his 3-point total given his recent shooting funk. He’s not taking shots from deep at the same frequency, and while he did hit five threes against the Kings last time there’s just as great of a chance that Harden gets to the line all night against an interior defense that can’t defend at the rim.

The bottom line is both guys really should light it up from deep, but the Harden number is low enough that I’m going to opt for the security it brings.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Kings vs Clippers spread and Over/Under analysis

This is theoretically a pace-up spot for the Clippers, so that’s the reason for the inflated total. With that said, however, I don’t necessarily think Sacramento will be able to control this game on the road. Their 3-point percentage on the road this season has been 1.5 points worse than it is at home, and even in Sacramento last time these two sides met the Kings shot 31.7% from deep.

That’s going to smother the Kings’ offense significantly, and if not for a 40-piece from De’Aaron Fox against Harden, who was still playing his way into shape, the total this time around likely wouldn’t have been quite this high. Sabonis also had an incredibly difficult time against this frontcourt defense, going 3-for-12, and that area has only gotten stronger for the Clippers with Theis mixing in nicely behind Zubac on the defensive end over the last two weeks.

I expect the Clippers’ defense to shine and render this Kings offense hopeless, which is why I ultimately land on the Under here. Should L.A. grab control of this one, it will grind the pace down significantly and it could even bring some alternative Unders into play.

With all of that said, 69% of the money and 69% of the bets at DraftKings are on the Over, and the Kings have been a favorite of the public with 52% of the tickets on the spread. There is a bit more money on the Clippers than the Kings, however.

Kings vs Clippers betting trend to know

The LA Clippers have hit the 1Q Game Total Under in 36 of their last 58 games (+12.05 Units / 19% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Kings vs. Clippers.

Kings vs Clippers game info

Kings vs Clippers latest injuries

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