The National Basketball Association has resumed play in Orlando, Florida, and the regular season is set to wrap up this week. Playoff position and seeding is still up in the air for several teams, including the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings.
Houston and Sacramento are set to do battle on Sunday, and this could be one of the highest-scoring games of the restart. Both teams can put up points in a hurry, and defense is not a strong component.
The Rockets come into this game with an overall record of 43-25, and they sit atop the Southwest Division. Sacramento is just 29-40 on the season, and they have gone only 1-4 so far in Orlando.
FanDuel Sportsbook has the Houston Rockets at 5.5-point favorites over the Sacramento Kings in this showdown on Sunday.
Rockets Looking For Offense in Orlando
The Houston Rockets are averaging 118.4 points per game this season, making them the second highest-scoring team in the league. The offense hasn’t come as easy for the Rockets in Orlando, and they are playing without a key player.
Point guard Russell Westbrook is day-to-day, and he will likely be forced to miss this game. Westbrook is scoring more than 27 points per game this season, and there will be more pressure on James Harden to deliver in this game.
Harden had 39 points in the most recent win over the Los Angeles Lakers, and he is scoring more than 34 points per game. The Rockets will have the ball in Harden’s hands a ton in this game, and this could be a huge scoring night.
Kings Need to Play Some Defense
The Sacramento Kings have not been a great defensive team all season long, and that trend has continued in Orlando. Even in the Kings lone win since the restart, they gave up 125 points to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Sacramento is allowing close to 112 points per game this season, and their defense is the biggest reason that they will miss out on the playoffs. The Kings are a relatively young team, and they have struggled to focus on that end of the floor.
The Kings can score, and De’Aaron Fox and Bojan Bogdanovic have been playing well for the team. Bogdanovic had a career-high 35 points in the win over the Pelicans, and his hot play forced Buddy Hield to the bench.
Fox leads the team with 21.0 points and 6.8 assists per game, and he could have a big night with Westbrook out of the lineup.
Rockets Pick Up Win Over Kings
The fact that the Houston Rockets will likely be playing without Westbrook should give the Kings a significant advantage. The problem is that Sacramento has struggled to defend all season long, and the Houston Rockets can score.
As long as James Harden is on the floor for Houston, they always have a chance to win the game. Harden is back in MVP form, and he will be a nightmare for the Kings to deal with.
Sacramento has been shooting the ball well in Orlando, but their defense continues to be a significant problem. The Kings are likely going to miss the playoffs, and they are only playing for pride at this point.
Houston is simply the much better team, and they will find a way to slip past the Sacramento Kings in this Western Conference matchup.
Bet the Houston Rockets -5.5 over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
