Playoffs? Sacramento Kings stir optimism, but sports betting sites project low win total
The Kings have made a series of solid offseason moves to bring a renewed sense of optimism to Sacramento.
Even some prominent figures in the national media are beginning to buy in with veteran NBA reporter Marc J. Spears recently predicting the Kings will make the playoffs, but not everyone is so sure of Sacramento’s long-awaited resurgence.
Sportsbooks and betting sites are beginning to release projected win totals for the 2022-23 season. The outlook isn’t great for Sacramento, but the odds might look good to anyone who believes the Kings are on the verge of a breakthrough.
PointsBet.com has set the over/under at 32.5 wins for the Kings. They are huge +50000 underdogs to win the Pacific Division behind the Los Angeles Clippers (+155), Phoenix Suns (+180), Golden State Warriors (+225) and Los Angeles Lakers (+900). Only the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs are projected to win fewer games than the Kings.
SportsBetting.ag is slightly more bullish on Sacramento, but not by much. The site recently released projected win totals for 26 of the league’s 30 teams, withholding figures for the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz
due to trade speculation involving Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell. The over/under for Sacramento was set at 33.5 wins.
Both sites are projecting a slight increase in wins for the Kings, who went 30-52 to finish 12th in the Western Conference last season. They missed the playoffs for an NBA-record 16th consecutive season, a streak that dates back to their final season under coach Rick Adelman in 2005-06.
During a recent appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” Spears boldly predicted the Kings will reach the playoffs and first-round draft pick Keegan Murray will be named Rookie of the Year. Even some of the most jaded Kings fans are expressing similar beliefs based on moves the team has made this offseason.
The Kings started by hiring Mike Brown. Brown has a 347-216 (.616) record as a head coach. He came to Sacramento by way of Golden State, where he served as Steve Kerr’s lead assistant for six seasons, helping the Warriors win three NBA championships.
The Kings followed that move with the decision to draft Murray with the No. 4 pick in June’s NBA draft. Many analysts thought Sacramento should have picked Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, but Murray clearly demonstrated everything the Kings saw in him while winning the Las Vegas Summer League MVP award.
The Kings also traded for Kevin Huerter and signed Malik Monk as a free agent, adding to a core group that already included De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell, Harrison Barnes and Domantas Sabonis. General manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox have worked swiftly to address some of the team’s biggest needs with an emphasis on shooting.
Will that be enough to make the Kings playoff contenders? Oddsmakers don’t seem to think so, but others are beginning to believe this could finally be the year.
