NBA Basketball
2010-03-02 - Sacramento Kings at Oklahoma City Thunde
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
NBA Basketball
Tuesday 2nd March, Start: 01:00 (GMT)
Preview
Oklahoma City Thunder have unearthed the next superstar of the NBA in Kevin Durant, but they have not relied on him in recent games to help them through, a sign of good things to come for this young squad.
The Thunder are 35-23 this season and this record has them currently occupying one of the playoff spots in the Western Conference. They might be the 6th seed at the moment, but they are only 3 games behind Denver, the current Division leaders, and it is entirely possible that they can seed much higher in the post-season if they continue with their recent form. Oklahoma are 18-11 at home.
Oklahoma have won 8 of their last 10 games and the last 2 have been big blowouts without getting the usual 30 point haul from Durant. This game will present the chance for the Thunder to win their 12th game from the last 14.
Their home record stands as 16-13 against the spread this season. However, they have won their last 3 games against the spread at home and are 6-4 against the spread over their last 10 games. Oklahoma enjoy a days rest between this game and their last against Toronto and are 17-14 against the spread on a day rest.
Sacramento are not going to make the playoffs this season and their record of 20-39 leaves them 14 games off the playoff spots. The Kings really struggle on the road and have a 5-25 record.
They are 4-6 over their last 10 games but have a chance to win 3 games in a row, the first time this will happen since the end of November. They are 2-4 over their last 6 games on the road but it is interesting to note that if they lose on the road, they have lost against the spread also.
The Kings have a 14-14-2 record against the spread on the road this season. They also have a strong record when playing on a one day rest and are 15-10 against the spread on such occasions.
Head to Head
The two teams have split the last 10 games, both straight up and against the spread.
It is also interesting to note that the underdog holds a 14-4 record against the spread in their last 18 games and the team playing on the road is 13-5 against the spread.
The last 4 meetings at Oklahoma have been split 2-2 both straight up and against the spread.
There are other interesting statistics to take from this season. Oklahoma City are 18-16 against the spread against other Western Conference teams while the Kings are 19-13-3. The Kings also have a 66% winning ratio against the spread after a win, while Oklahoma have a losing record.
Prediction
Oklahoma City have been in strong form over the last month and are making a real push towards the top half of the playoffs this season. They have a bona fide superstar in Kevin Durant although he is now getting help from the supporting cast. I think they will make the playoffs this season as they continue their winning run.
Sacramento have a poor record on the road, but can play tough. They have a 7-1 record against the spread when given a double digit headstart and they will hope to keep the match tighter than when they last played on the road at Phoenix. They have a decent 6-5 record on the road against the spread against those sides with winning records.
I think Oklahoma will win this game, but I am going to play Sacramento with the points here and hope they can keep it close. The Kings can play tough on the road, and have played the Thunder tough in their meetings at the Ford Center.
The Pick :
Oklahoma City Thunder 104-96 Sacramento Kings
Gooner’s Statistical Value Bet
Sacramento Kings + 10.5 points
