Kings vs. Cavaliers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Friday, Jan. 23

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up a much-needed road win on Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets, holding them to just 87 points.

Even with Darius Garland (toe) out of the lineup, Cleveland is still within striking distance of a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference, and it’s heavily favored at home on Friday against the lowly Sacramento Kings.

The Kings have actually pulled off a few upsets this month, beating the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, but they have dropped three games in a row and are just 3-17 on the road this season.

A big issue for the Kings has been their defense, as they sit in the bottom five in the NBA in defensive rating.

Can they hang around against a Cavs team that has the worst against the spread record in the league?

Here’s a look at the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for Friday’s interconference battle.

Kings vs. Cavaliers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Kings +12.5 (-110)
Cavs -12.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Kings: +440
Cavs: -600

Total

235.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Kings vs. Cavaliers How to Watch

Date: Friday, Jan. 23
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Rocket Arena
How to Watch (TV): NBC Sports California, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Kings record: 12-33
Cavs record: 25-20

Kings vs. Cavaliers Injury Reports

Kings Injury Report

Keegan Murray – out
Daeqwon Plowden – out
Isaiah Stevens – out

Cavs Injury Report

Darius Garland – out
Max Strus – out
Sam Merrill – out
Luke Travers – out
Chris Livingston – out

Kings vs. Cavaliers Best NBA Prop Bets

Note: These player prop picks were made before odds were released and are suggestions based on past player performance.

Cavs Best NBA Prop Bet

Donovan Mitchell OVER Assists

Mitchell has a bigger playmaking role ahead of him with Garland out of the lineup, and he had six assists in Wednesday’s win over Charlotte even though the Cavs only scored 94 points.

He should have an even bigger game on offense against this weak Sacramento defense that is allowing over 120 points per game and ranks 21st in opponent assists per game this season.

Mitchell is averaging 5.7 assists per game this season, but that number has jumped to 6.2 per game in January. He’s worth a look as the primary creator for this Cleveland team.

Kings vs. Cavaliers Prediction and Pick

The Cavs may have the worst record against the spread in the NBA, but the Kings are the second-worst team against the number, and they’ve been awful on the road this season.

Sacramento has a road net rating of -13.1 – the second-worst mark in the NBA – and it’s gone just 7-13 against the spread as a road underdog. Only the New York Knicks (1-4 ATS) have a worst against the spread record as road dogs this season.

The Cavs have not figured out how to match last season’s form (when they won 64 games), but they are still 11th in net rating and a top-10 offense this season.

While Garland’s injury lowers Cleveland’s ceiling it is slightly better at home (14-11) than on the road (11-9) this season.

I’ll lay the points with the Cavs on Friday as they look to make a move up the Eastern Conference standings.

Pick: Cavs -12.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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