Kings vs. Nuggets Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Jan. 23

Can the Kings cover the spread as road underdogs?

Can the Kings cover the spread as road underdogs? / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets are favored on the road on Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings, who knocked off the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.

Sacramento erased a double-digit deficit on Wednesday night, and it’s now three games over  .500 and holds the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. The Kings have won nine of their last 10 games, and they’ve been on fire since firing head coach Mike Brown in late December.

However, oddsmakers aren’t buying them on the second night of a back-to-back, setting them as 8.5-point dogs against the Nuggets. 

Denver – the No. 4 seed in the West – is also playing at a high level right now, going 8-2 in its last 10 games. The Nuggets have won three in a row and each of their last five games with Aaron Gordon (calf) back in the lineup. 

Can they keep that rolling on Thursday?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, best players props, and my prediction for this Western Conference clash. 

Kings vs. Nuggets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Kings +8.5 (-112)
• Nuggets -8.5 (-108)

Moneyline

• Kings: +300
• Nuggets: -380

Total

• 241 (Over -112/Under -108)

Kings vs. Nuggets How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, Jan. 23
• Time: 9:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Ball Arena
• How to Watch (TV): Altitude. NBC Sports California
• Kings record: 23-20
• Nuggets record: 27-16

Kings vs. Nuggets Injury Reports

Kings Injury Report

• Not submitted yet

Nuggets Injury Report

• Trey Alexander – out
• Vlatko Cancar – out
• Spencer Jones – out
• DaRon Holmes II – out

Kings vs. Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bets

Sacramento Kings Best NBA Prop Bet

• De’Aaron Fox OVER 5.5 Assists (-125)

This is a great matchup for De’Aaron Fox, as the Nuggets are allowing 29.4 opponent assists per game this season – the most in the NBA.

Fox is averaging 6.3 assists per game this season, and he’s cleared 5.5 dimes in 13 of his 20 games since Dec. 1 – averaging 6.8 dimes per game. He had seven assists in his first matchup with Denver this season, and the Nuggets are allowing 10.06 assists per game to opposing point guards. 

Denver Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bet

• Michael Porter Jr. OVER 2.5 3-Pointers Made (-125)

Nuggets wing Michael Porter Jr. has been on fire from 3 as of late, making at least three shots from beyond the arc in four of his last five games while knocking down 54.2 percent from downtown. 

This is a great matchup for Porter Jr. and Denver, as the Kings are 28th in the NBA in opponent 3-pointers made per game (14.5) this season. 

Kings vs. Nuggets Prediction and Pick

As long as the Kings don’t sit any key players on the second night of a back-to-back, I love getting the points with them on Thursday night.

Sacramento is 5-3 against the spread as a road underdog this season, and it’s played the third-most clutch games (25) in the NBA this season (games that are within five points in the final five minutes). So, there’s reason to believe that this game will be close down the stretch. 

Denver is 8-7-1 against the spread as a home favorite this season, and it’s posted the No. 2 net rating in the league over its last 10 games. 

The bright side for the Kings? They’re fourth in the league in net rating over that stretch, posting a top-five offense and top-10 defense (a major step forward this season) over their last 10 games.

I’ll take the points in a matchup between two of the hottest teams in the Western Conference.

Pick: Kings +8.5 (-110)

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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.