New York Knicks vs Sacramento Kings Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 04/04/2024, 00:11  by Joseph King | Modified on 04/04/2024 at 01:14 in NBA Predictions

The New York Knicks will look to put an end to a three-game losing streak when they play host to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Both teams have identical 44-31 records, which gives New York the fifth seed in the East and Sacramento the seventh seed in the West as things currently stand.

The Knicks come into this game off the back of a 109-99 away defeat to the Heat on Tuesday. It was the team’s third loss in a row and now sees them with only a two-game lead over the seventh-place Heat. The goal will be to secure a top-six finish which grants automatic qualification into the postseason. New York have put together a very impressive season especially when considering the amount of injury setbacks they’ve experienced. They’re still without Julius Randle and OG Anunoby but have been carried by the play of All-Star Jalen Brunson. The 26-year-old recently dropped a career-high 61 points a few days ago and has eight games with 40+ points in the 2023/24 season.

Sacramento are involved in a tight battle for a top-six spot in a race that will likely come down to the final day of the regular season. Currently, the Kings would have to pass through the play-in tournament if they are to return to the NBA Playoffs for a second straight year following their third-place finish last season. There are five teams that are separated by just two games in the race for the fifth and sixth seeds, highlighting how small the margin for error is in the West. The Kings are coming off an impressive 109-95 home win over the LA Clippers on Tuesday. It was the latest in a string of strong defensive performances over the last few weeks. Over their last eight games, Sacramento is giving up just 105.1 points per game on average.