NBA
Sacramento Kings vs Los Angeles Lakers Odds, Tips and Prediction
The Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers are looking to kick start their season after both teams endured difficult starts to their respective 2024/25 season campaigns.
Anthony Davis//Getty Images
The Sacramento Kings will compete against the Los Angeles Lakers on home turf back-to-back in California’s capital at the Golden 1 Center at 1 pm West Coast time – two days after the last game. Both teams play each other three times over the Christmas festive season.
SportsBoom preview will provide a detailed analysis of both teams, their previous head-to-head record, pre-game odds and discuss value bets.
Don’t forget to look at the various NBA betting strategies and betting platforms to place your bets and potentially win big.
Match Details: Los Angeles Lakers vs Sacramento Kings
Date: Saturday 21st December
Start time: 3 pm local time (11 pm BST)
Venue: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California (CA)
Last meeting: November 19, 2024, score TBA
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Kings Slight Favourites
Sacramento Kings: 4/5 (1.80) – 55.6%
Los Angeles Lakers: 6/4 (2.50) – 40.0%
*Forecast Odds* Betting available on 1Win closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
The Kings and the Lakers have met 450 times in the regular season throughout NBA history, but the Lakers have the upper hand, as the southern Californian team has recorded 282 wins.
The Kings have a far inferior 168 wins over the Lakers, but the northern Californian team have a clear advantage from their last ten matches. The Kings have a dominant 8-2 record and have produced comfortable wins in the previous couple of seasons despite never lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Last Five Matches
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2024/25 Season | October 26, 2024 | Los Angeles Lakers 131-127 Sacramento Kings |
| 2023/24 Season | March 13, 2024 | Sacramento Kings 120-107 Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2023/24 Season | March 6, 2024 | Sacramento Kings 130-120 Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2023/24 Season | November 15, 2023 | Sacramento Kings 125-110 Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2023/24 Season | October 29, 2023 | Sacramento Kings 132-127 Los Angeles Lakers |
How is the season so far for both teams?
Kings
- Record: 12-13
- Home Form: 6-7
- Road Form: 6-6
So far, the Sacramento Kings are one of four teams with a sub-0.500 record in the Western Conference this season. Their home and away form is consistently matched, but they have lost one more home game overall due to the number of games they have played.
Their drop-off in form hasn’t stopped the Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis from averaging 12.6 rebounds a game. This places him third in the league, as he has made the most of missed field goal situations from the opposition.
De’Aaron Fox enters his eighth year in Sacramento after being selected first overall back in the 2017 Draft, with his points per game overall average increasing year-on-year. This year, the point guard is seventh in the league and has averaged 30.4 points in his last ten matches despite the problematic run-in form.
Lakers
- Record: 13-11
- Home Form: 8-3
- Road Form: 5-8
JJ Redick’s first season as head coach started with a respectable 10-4 record, boosted by a five-win streak in mid-November. A narrow one-point loss to the Orlando Magic and an overtime defeat to the Atlanta Hawks was the catalyst that saw the NBA giants fall to a 13-11 record and down to near play-in contention in the Western Conference.
NBA all-time great LeBron James is in his 22nd season in the sport and is again at the forefront of the roster. He has slightly regressed in form in recent years but is still one of the most valuable players in the entire league, let alone the Lakers. Rumours now see James linked in a blockbuster trade deal with the Golden State Warriors; therefore, any strong performance will see his value increase should any deal arise.
Lakers power forward Anthony Davis enters his fifth year and is performing his best numbers in yellow and purple. The 31-year-old is posting strong averages of 26.9 points per game and is the roster leader in rebounds, steals, and blocks.
Value Bets
De’Aaron Fox: Over 20 points and 8 Assists: The Kings dominated with back-to-back wins of 140-113 and 141-97 over the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz, respectively. Fox posted 20+ points and eight or more assists in both games. The 26-year-old is entering his prime years and performing on the same level as his previous year’s average.
De'Aaron Fox//Getty Images
LeBron James: Over 25 points and Over 10 Assists: SportsBoom backs the 39-year-old veteran to deliver the goods for this interstate rivalry. Despite losing 134-132 in overtime against the Hawks, James posted 39 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, where he is displaying no signs of regression in his overall game.
Prediction: Lakers to Win
SportsBoom predicted the Kings would win the first matchup. However, for the second game after three days, we believe the Lakers will bounce back.
Despite having a 5-8 away record, one of the biggest NBA franchises will want to string together an impressive spell of form during the festive period to try and solidify a place as a higher seed.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.