Sacramento Kings @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Two of the hottest teams in their respective conferences clash with the All-Star Break on the horizon, as the surging Cleveland Cavaliers play host to the Sacramento Kings tonight from Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Winners of six of their last seven games, the Kings (29-19, 5th in West) conclude their 7-game road trip in Northern Ohio. (Head Coach) Mike Brown's troops have been on fire offensively during this stretch, shooting 51.3% from the field and 36.7% from three, while dishing out 28.3 assists in comparison to committing 13.8 turnovers. When we last saw them, these Kings rode the wave of a strong first half in which they outscored the Bulls 71-52 en route to earning a 123-115 victory in the Windy City. Sacramento continued to burn up the nylon on 50.0% shooting, including 38.5% from downtown (15-of-39), with 33 dimes opposed to sixteen turnovers. (All-Star Point Guard) De'Aaron Fox erupted for 41 points on 13-of-24 shooting (54.2%) and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line. (Reserve Guard) Malik Monk added 22 points off the bench, along with 5 rebounds and 7 assists.

With all due respect to their opponent tonight, the Cavaliers (31-16, 3rd in East) have been even HOTTER, winning thirteen of their last fourteen games overall, including each of their last five contests. During this stretch (Head Coach) J.B Bickerstaff's unit has been eviscerating the competition by a margin of 15.9 points per game, while enjoying sizable advantages from three (+10.8) and on the glass (+6.5). (All-Star Guard) Donovan Mitchell has been a flamethrower, averaging 28.7 points on 49.1% shooting, with 5.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists, and 1.8 steals. When we last saw Cleveland, they hammered the Spurs in a 117-101 affair in which entered halftime with a commanding 67-45 advantage. Mitchell led the way with 31 points, but Bickerstaff's bigs, Evan Mobley and Jarett Allen proved decisive against 2023 #1 Overall Pick, Victor Wembanyama, combining for 54 points and 26 rebounds, netting 23-of-33 attempts from the field (69.7%).

Things to Know: - 90% of the money is on the Cavs tonight. - Cleveland is 11-0 ATS in their last 11 games as a favorite of 0.5-4.5 points. - Sacramento is 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games as a road underdog of 0.5-4.5 points. - The Cavaliers have been on fire, yes, but it should be noted that they have been feasting on the softest portion of their schedule, with 9 of their 13 wins during this stretch coming against opponents below .500, including the likes of Wizards (2x), Pistons, and Spurs, who have combined for just 25 wins. - Kings have won 3 straight meetings, including a 132-120 victory at Golden 1 Center back on Nov. 13. Cleveland has 7 players finish in double-figures, led by Mitchell with 22 points (7-of-21 FG), but could not overcome Sacramento's ethereal 59.0% from the field. 4 players scored 20+ points for the hosts, paced by 28 from Fox. Domantas Sabonis scored 23 points, while Kevin Huerter and Keegen Murray added 20 and 25 points as well.

Playmakers to Watch: - All respect to Mitchell, we're watching the duo of Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, who have returned to health after lengthy spells on the sidelines. Mobley, the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, missed 22 games with a knee injury, while Garland was out for 19 games with a broken jaw. Ironically, much of this successful stretch has come without the services of Mobley and Garland, who combine for 35.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game. As the Cavs begin to face stiffer competition in their climb up the East, having these two back in the starting lineup should be a boon to Bickerstaff & Co. - Though not a player, all eyes will be on Brown in this, his return to Cleveland where he received his first job as a Head Coach. The 53-year-old is a native of Columbus, Ohio, and was tabbed to guide the LeBron James-led Cavs to championship glory. Brown went 305-187 (.620) in five seasons with the franchise, including a trip to the 2007 NBA Finals where they were swept by the Spurs. After leading the Kings to their first playoff appearance in 17 years, he was named Coach of the Year last season, his first with Sacramento.

Our Call: Cavaliers 126, Kings 118