Sacramento Kings vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 13/11/2023, 10:07  by Joseph King | Modified on 13/11/2023 at 14:00 in NBA Prediction

The final game of Monday’s four-game slate in the NBA sees an inter-conference matchup as the 4-4 Sacramento Kings host the 4-5 Cleveland Cavaliers. These are two teams that have been negatively impacted by injuries in the early days of the season. For the Kings, the absence of star point-guard De’Aaron Fox has led to a lukewarm start to the year as they sit in seventh-place. Expectations are high for Sacramento this season following their surprise third-place finish last season in the Western Conference. They come into this game following back-to-back home wins against the Trail Blazers and the Thunder, the latter finishing 105-98. It was the Kings’ best defensive performance of the season so far as they blocked nine shots, grabbed 52 rebounds and held a dangerous OKC team to 23% from downtown. It marked the first time the Kings have held an opponent to sub-100 points. This will be the third and final game of their three game home stand before hitting the road to take on the Lakers.

The Cavaliers are now back to full strength with the return of Garland and Allen to the lineup and look set to climb the East standings. The Cavs’ 4-5 record currently places them 10th in the Eastern Conference. However, it is apparent that this team is much better than their losing record would suggest. They’re coming off a brilliant 118-110 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday and they’ll now attempt to win their second consecutive game for the first time this season. Cleveland’s calling card has been its dominant defense which ranks third in the league in adjusted defensive rating (109.2). They were able to display the excellent balance on their roster in the win over Golden State with their starters combining for 87 points with another 22 by LeVert off the bench. The Cavs have actually performed better as the road team so far this campaign with a 3-2 record compared to 1-3 at home.