Kings vs. Clippers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, March 9

Two playoff contenders in the Western Conference square off on Sunday night, as the Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Sacramento Kings.

Los Angeles is the best team in the NBA against the spread as a home favorite, and it won and covered against the New York Knicks on Friday night at home.

The Kings, who are 0.5 games behind the Clippers in the Western Conference standings, will be without two starters on Sunday in Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis.

Despite that, the Kings have won seven of their last 10 games and are within striking distance of a top-six seed in the conference.

With so much at stake in the playoff picture for both teams, how should we bet on this matchup?

Here’s a complete breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market, and my prediction for this Western Conference battle.

Kings vs. Clippers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Kings +6.5 (-112)
Clippers -6.5 (-108)

Moneyline

Kings: +185
Clippers: -225

Total

221 (Over -112/Under -108)

Kings vs. Clippers How to Watch

Date: Sunday, March 9
Time: 9:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Intuit Dome
How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports SoCal, NBC Sports California
Kings record: 33-29
Clippers record: 34-29

Kings vs. Clippers Injury Reports

Kings Injury Report

Jae Crowder – questionable
Malik Monk – out
Domantas Sabonis – out

Clippers Injury Report

Patrick Baldwin Jr. – out
Cam Christie – out
Trentyn Flowers – out
Seth Lundy – out
Norman Powell – out
Ben Simmons – out

Kings vs. Clippers Best NBA Prop Bets

Sacramento Kings Best NBA Prop Bet

DeMar DeRozan OVER 4.5 Assists (-145)

With Monk and Sabonis both out, the Kings are down their two best playmakers on offense.

So, DeMar DeRozan may be relied on more as a playmaker than he has been in previous games this season. DeRozan is averaging just 4.0 assists per game, but he has five or more in four of his last five games, including multiple games since Sabonis went down.

I expect him to have an even bigger playmaking load now that Monk is out, too. He has five and seven dimes over the last two games without the lead guard in the lineup.

Los Angeles Clippers Best NBA Prop Bet

James Harden UNDER 3.5 3-Pointers Made (-120)

This may feel like a prime spot to back Harden in a 3-point prop since he’s taken 13 and 12 3s in his last two games, but I’m going the other way on Sunday. Harden only has 10 games since Jan. 1 (28-game sample size) with four or more made shots from 3, and he’s shooting 34.1 percent from deep for the season.

The increased volume certainly can help in this prop, but I’m not sold on the Clippers' guard attempting double-digit 3s again on Sunday. The Kings have also held him to two and three made shots from deep in his games against them this season.

Kings vs. Clippers Prediction and Pick

The Kings have been rolling as of late, ranking fourth in the NBA in net rating over their last 10 games, but I’m not sure I can trust them in this spot against the Clippers.

Los Angeles is an NBA-best 15-5 against the spread as a home favorite this season, and it’s coming off a big win over the New York Knicks on Friday night.

With the Kings down two starters in Sabonis and Monk, it’s hard to ask them to hang around with another playoff-caliber team – especially on the road.

It’s also worth noting that over this 10-game stretch, the Kings have played three playoff teams – Golden State, Denver, and Houston – and went just 1-2 against them. The rest of the team’s wins came against struggling teams like New Orleans, Charlotte, San Antonio, Dallas, and Utah.

This is a step up in competition on Sunday, and I expect the Clippers to cover.

Pick: Clippers -6.5 (-108 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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