New Orleans Pelicans: Betting guide vs. Sacramento Kings

The New Orleans Pelicans have two games on back-to-back days in California and take on the Sacramento Kings after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The New Orleans Pelicans were unable to win Friday night’s highly anticipated matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. While the two teams have already played, this was the return of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart to Los Angeles.

Ingram and Ball both had great games but the problem was that former Pelican Anthony Davis had an even better game. After torching his former team in New Orleans in the first matchup this season, Davis balled out again and gave the LA crowd a show.

Davis scored 46 points to go alongside 13 rebounds to lead the Lakers to a 123-113 win over the Pelicans. While it does suck to see Davis have yet another huge game against the Pelicans, it was nice to see Ingram and Ball, especially Ball, have great games against their former team.

The Pelicans do not get a break to think about the loss, though, as this was the first leg of a back-to-back that takes place in California. The Pelicans flew upstate to take on the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

While the Kings are not all that great, they are still having a slightly better season than the Pelicans, although you could definitely make the case that the Pelicans have more talent.

That is evident from the betting line. Despite the Pelicans being on the entirely opposite coast and playing in the second leg of a back-to-back on the road, the team is only 2.5-point underdogs against the Kings, according to the Action Network.

Against the spread prediction (16-16-2): New Orleans Pelicans +2.5

I narrowly pulled out the win in the Pelicans game on Friday night as I had the team as 10.5-point underdogs and the team lost by exactly 10. So while the Pelicans lost, I was a winner on the night, which is always good.

I also have the Pelicans as underdogs in this game but it is not because I think the Pelicans are going to lose by two or fewer. I think that the Pelicans are going to win outright in this game.

I think it is going to be a very high-scoring game where both defenses do not look that great and the Pelicans can win these games against a team that is not that great, like the Kings.

I expect another big night from Brandon Ingram and a three-point barrage by the Pelicans that leads to a six-point victory on the road.