7 p.m. ET – Sacramento at Charlotte (-4) O/U: 239.5
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento Kings | +3½ (-105) | +135 | O 240 (-110) |
| Charlotte Hornets | -3½ (-115) | -160 | U 240 (-110) |
The 15-23 Kings stay out on the East Coast in Charlotte to take on the 19-18 Hornets Monday night. Sacramento fell on Saturday in Atlanta, 121-106, losing its seventh game in the last 10 outings. Charlotte has won three games in a row to get over the .500 mark for the first time since Jan. 11, with its most recent win coming at home against Toronto on Saturday night, 114-104.
The Kings are led by guard De’Aaron Fox, who is averaging 23.5 points and 7.6 assists per game. Fox had 20 points and 14 assists in the first matchup against Charlotte. Buddy Hield led Sacramento with 30 points that night, making 8-of-16 three-point attempts. The Hornets were without their leading scorer, Gordon Hayward, in the previous matchup.
Hayward is averaging 21 points per game this season and the team is 3-0 since his return one game before the All-Star break. Charlotte forward P.J. Washington led all scorers with a career-high 42 points on Feb. 28, shooting 15-of-23 from the field. This game features the top two ROTY candidates in Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Ball had 24 points and 12 assists in the first matchup on 7-of-12 shooting to help spearhead Charlotte’s comeback. Haliburton missed the previous matchup due to a calf injury and has struggled upon his return after the All-Star break, averaging only 6.5 points on 29-percent shooting in those two games.
The Hornets are closing out a three-game homestand before heading out for another West Coast trip and they should come out with a much better game plan than the last time they faced the Kings. Although Sacramento gets Haliburton back for this game, it pales in comparison to the impact the return of Hayward and Zeller for Charlotte. The Hornets are the better basketball team and are riding a wave of momentum at the moment. Lay the four points and watch Charlotte take care of business against the inferior Kings on Monday night.
*Odds courtesy of MyBookie
