The Utah Jazz have had to deal with some key injuries over the last few weeks, leading them down a dark path with 11 defeats in their last 11 games. Now, after a crushing one-point loss to the Houston Rockets it’ll be time to pick themselves up by the bootstraps and try to win a tough one on the road.
With three losses in their last five, things aren’t going quite as well for the Sacramento Kings, but might their fortunes turn around here?
Let's get right into the NBA odds with our in-depth preview and NBA picks for Jazz vs. Kings on Sunday, March 31.
Jazz vs Kings predictions
My best bet: Kings -12 (-114 at FanDuel)
The Sacramento Kings’ offense has sputtered a bit in the month of March, dropping off by roughly two points per 100 possessions and ranking down in the bottom half of the league. Defensively, things have gotten even more bleak — by nearly five points per 100 possessions.
This is a less-intimidating Kings team than the one we saw at the beginning of the season, and in the past two games the issues mounting on both sides of the ball have grown even worse in losses to the Mavericks, particularly on defense. Sacramento did manage to shoot the ball well against a generous Dallas defense, which was a nice sign after a month where it shot a 26th-ranked 34.2% from deep closes.
The Utah Jazz, thankfully, have the worst 3-point defense in the NBA at over 40% and things haven’t changed one bit in the month of March. Utah’s also ranked 27th at the rim and has really only looked competent against the mid-range jumper, a shot the Kings have actually favored this month despite shooting at a league-average frequency this year.
Still, Sacramento knows its outside shooting and its reliance on Domantas Sabonis down low are the ways in which it will win this game. Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk are still out, which theoretically puts a damper on the shooting outlook, but the Kings still managed to look strong from the arc shorthanded over the last two. Against a porous defense, I think they’ll take care of business.
Utah, meanwhile, is still without two key scorers in Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen, something that’s incredibly troubling given offense is really its way into this one. That should help the Kings out on the defensive side, and we should see a strong showing here as Sacramento gets back on track. They may be 12-20 against the spread as home favorites, but the matchup is too strong.
Jazz vs Kings same-game parlay
Kings -12
Domantas Sabonis 20+ points
Keegan Murray 3+ made 3s
Yes, Sabonis has been in a little bit of a scoring funk lately with just 12 points per game over his last three contests, but fear not. The Kings’ big man has gone for 20 and 22 points, respectively, in his two games against the Jazz this season and should have another soft matchup given the weak frontcourt defense on the other side of the floor.
I like Sabonis to have a big night here with Huerter, Monk, and potentially Lyles all out, and it’s worth noting that even if the points column hasn’t been filled, Sabonis has only taken nine shots per game over those three outings.
Then, I’ll have to find someone on the Kings to hit some outside shots, and it should be Keegan Murray. He’s knocked down three in three of his last four games and is up against the worst 3-point defense in basketball. This should be the best way to back the Kings to run up the score.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Jazz vs Kings odds and trends
Jazz vs Kings opening odds
- Spread: Utah +12.5 | Sacramento -12.5
- Moneyline: Utah +595 | Sacramento -792
- Over/Under: Over 222.5 | Under 222.5
Jazz vs Kings spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Kings were initially 11.5-point favorites on the opening line, and we saw a steady move towards the home side for most of the early part of Sunday.
- While 52% of the tickets wagered on the spread over at DraftKings are on the Kings to cover, a whopping 84% of the handle has come in that way.
- The total has been a very one-sided affair from a betting standpoint, opening at 225 and landing all the way down at 221.5 on Sunday afternoon.
Jazz vs Kings betting trend to know
The Kings have hit the 3Q Game Total Under in 29 of their last 44 games (+11.95 Units / 24% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Jazz vs. Kings.
Jazz vs Kings game info
| Location: | Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA |
| Date: | Sunday, March 31, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | KJZZ, NBCS-California |
Not intended for use in MA.
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