The NBA is tanktastic. Just don’t tell that to the Sacramento Kings.
Just a short time ago—on Feb. 22 to be exact—the Kings were 12-46. Not only was that the worst record in the league, but it was the worst by three full games. In a year widely deemed as the year to win the NBA tankathon, they were well on track to doing that.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the loss column. Over the last 14 games, Sacramento is 7-7. Now at 19-53, the Kings have fallen behind—or surged ahead, depending on your point of view—the Pacers (16-56), Wizards (16-55) and Nets (17-55).
Because of Sacramento’s recent success, the team’s chances of landing the No. 1 overall pick has dropped from 14.0% to 12.5%. The chances of landing a top-four pick has fallen from 52.1% to 48.1%.
On Tuesday, the Kings continue their journey to the lottery when they play the Hornets at the Spectrum Center, the first game of a five-game road trip. Charlotte is a big 16.5-point favorite over Sacramento.
While Hornets-Kings is the one of the attractions on Tuesday, there are other options on a sporting landscape that includes three other NBA games and the NIT quarterfinals. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet on Tuesday. All times Eastern.
NBA best bets, where to watch
Kings at Hornets
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Charlotte | TV: NBA League Pass | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Hornets -16.5
Unlike the Kings, Kon Knueppel and the Hornets (37-34) have much to play for. Though they sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, they are just three games behind the Raptors for the No. 5 seed to avoid the play-in tournament entirely. Charlotte has won three in a row, winning by 30 (over the Heat), 19 (Magic) and 23 (Grizzlies). On Tuesday, the Hornets will play a Sacramento team that has the worst defensive rating on the road of any team in the league (121.9 points per 100 possessions). The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, says Charlotte has a 52% chance to cover and assigns a “C” grade to Hornets -16.5.
Pelicans at Knicks
Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: New York | TV: NBA League Pass | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Knicks -8.5 | Expert: Karl-Anthony Towns Under 21.5 total points -113 (Alex Selesnick)
The New York Knicks enter Tuesday on a bit of a heater. They have won six in a row, winning by an average of 14.7 points, and sit just a half game behind the Celtics for second place in the East. Three of those six wins have come by 17 points or more. On Tuesday, New York will play a New Orleans team that is 2-10 on the road against Eastern Conference teams. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Knicks have a 67% chance to cover and gives a “B” grade to New York -8.5. Meanwhile, Selesnick believes Karl-Anthony Towns is a regression candidate based on his playing time and usage. “He is also playing a Pelicans team that to begin the season, [was] dreadful defensively, in addition to playing at a fast pace, which hasn’t been the case recently, and [is] averaging fewer than 100 possessions over [its] last three games,” he says.
Magic at Cavaliers
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Cleveland | TV: NBC Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Magic +366
What has happened to the Orlando Magic offense? During the current five-game losing streak, the Magic are averaging just 112.9 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 22nd in the league over that time. In their seven previous games—all wins—they averaged 122.4 points per 100. The injury to Anthony Black (15.3 points per game) certainly hasn’t helped. He is set to miss his 10th straight game on Tuesday. The SportsLine Projection Model gives Orlando just a 33% chance to beat the Cavaliers on Tuesday, but that’s still good enough for the model to assign a “B” grade to Magic money line (+366).
Nuggets at Suns
Time: 11 p.m. | Location: Phoenix | TV: NBC Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Suns +194 | Expert: Devin Booker Over 25.5 total points -114 (Mike Barner)
The Denver Nuggets have owned the highest-rated offense for much of the season (120.2 points per 100 possessions), but their ability to go deep in the playoffs may hinge on the other side of the floor. Their defense is the 10th worst in the league, giving up 115.8 points per 100, worse than even the Mavericks‘ (115.0). Barner likes Booker, who has averaged 28.5 points over his last 12 games, facing that Denver defense. “As the Suns continue to play without Dillon Brooks (hand), Booker averaged 21.3 shot attempts and 8.0 free throw attempts over those 12 games,” he says. Meanwhile the SportsLine Projection Model says Phoenix has a 45% chance to win and gives a “B” grade to Suns money line (+194).
NIT best bets, where to watch
Wichita State at Tulsa
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: koming | TV: ESPN2 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Golden Hurricane -177
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane and Wichita State Shockers square off for the fourth time this season when they collide in the NIT quarterfinal round at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane (28-7) and Shockers (24-11) split the first two meetings this season with each team winning at home before Wichita State beat Tulsa 81-68 in the semifinals of the American Conference tournament on a neutral court. The Shockers, however, are 0-3 at the Reynolds Center under coach Paul Mills. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Golden Hurricane have a 67% chance to win and assigns a “C” grade to Tulsa money line (-177).
