Our NBA best bets and picks for Thursday, January 18 come from the BUCKETS Podcast, where our analysts gave out a pair of picks on opposite sides of tonight's Pacers vs. Kings non-conference showdown.
Let's dive into their picks and predictions from the latest episode.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 10:00 p.m. | Kings 1H -4.5 |
| 10:00 p.m. | Pacers +9 |
Kings +1H -4.5 vs. Pacers
10:00 p.m. ET ⋅ NBA League Pass
This is a great spot for the Kings. They have lost three straight and are coming off a five-game road trip.
The Pacers are missing some key pieces, and for a team that already doesn't play any defense, they need all the help they can get on the offensive side. I think the Kings can keep up with the pace of the Pacers and they love to score at home. I also expect the Pacers to be a little bit tired tonight after a long east-to-west coast swing.
The Kings should score 130-135 points.
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Pacers +9 at Kings
10:00 p.m. ET ⋅ NBA League Pass
By Matt Moore
Without Haliburton in the last two weeks, the Pacers are 3-4 straight up, which is better than I expected. My problem is not only laying this many points, the Kings are bad defensively at home. I know I have mentioned this plenty of times but these splits are so crazy, so every time I cap the Kings I have to bring it up.
And on the other side, the Pacers are better defensively on the road at 9th overall in defensive net rating. The loss of Bruce Brown and Jordan Nwora doesn't hurt them much defensively, and the team as a whole is competitive.
This is as much a fade of the Kings to win by 10 points. I don't see the Kings covering this number at all.
Hopefully the Kings can cover that first half and come back and cover the spread!
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