Charlotte vs Sacramento Prediction: Will the Californians manage to beat the Hornets away for the first time in 5 years?

The Kings have already picked up their first win in the current regular season, and now they have a chance to build on their success. Sacramento will meet with markedly weakened Charlotte. Will the Californians manage to beat the Hornets away for the first time in 5 years?

The Hornets start the regular season without LaMelo Ball, and Terry Rozier has only played 2 games, securing the club's lead in average performance. Nevertheless, despite the absence of their star playmaker and one of their best scorers, Charlotte combines well, plays a few isolations, and ranks 6th in the NBA in assists. Steve Clifford's men have three wins in six games and now share fifth place in the East with three other clubs.

Dennis Smith Jr, who seemed almost out of the league, has been a worthy replacement in the backline. Smith is very cold-blooded in the endings, PJ Washington is also very good in the clutch. The young forward also shoots well from beyond the arc, which is one of the main reasons the Hornets rank tenth in three-point percentage (37.6%). Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr. are leading the scoring right now, while big men Jalen McDaniels and Nick Richards are also doing a good job. In addition to Ball and Rozier, Charlotte has Cody Martin out and will not play against Sacramento State.

Last regular-season game, the Hornets beat Golden State in overtime, 120-131. Long-distance shots were once again absent, but Steve Clifford's team reaffirmed its status as one of the best defensive teams at the arc. Their opponent shot less than 30% from long range, although the Warriors were to be expected to shoot more three-pointers. Washington played one of the best games of their career, scoring almost nothing from beyond the arc and midrange, but PJ dominated in the paint.

The Kings' first-star status is roughly clear right now: De'Aaron Fox is averaging 27.8 points, hitting 55% of his shots from the field. Domantas Sabonis is also heavily influencing the Californian's game pattern. Sacramento leads the NBA in the number of possessions where the center puts the ball in the backfield and passes (hand-offs), and Sabonis has just such interactions with his partners. On the offensive end, things are roughly clear, but on defense, the Kings are among the worst in guarding opponents at the arc. The Kings are 28th in the league in interceptions; only Cleveland and Detroit are worse. The results are also generally disappointing, with Sacramento suffering 4 losses in 5 games. The good news is that all of their strongest players are fit and ready to play against Charlotte.

Mike Brown's team snapped their 4-game losing streak in a game against Miami, 119-111 in favor of the Kings. Sacramento basketball is slowly coming together, combining and creating more shooting opportunities. Kevin Huerter had his best game of the season with 7 of 8 three-pointers. Keegan Murray had another solid performance, second on the team, while Domantas Sabonis dominated in the paint, hitting 8 of 9 from the field. Fox's play was inconsistent and Barnes was once again marginal, so the Californians were not without their shortcomings.

Charlotte is squeezing the most out of the available roster, but teams without stars over the long haul cannot keep up with the level that the Hornets are currently setting. The Hornets don't have many snipers, and Kelly Oubre, for example, has been very unstable offensively over the last couple of seasons. Sacramento State was initially unable to establish a combinational game, but progress was evident against Memphis. The visitors are gaining momentum and the result should come. Our prediction for Charlotte vs Sacramento is as follows:

• Sacramento win including overtime for 1.74;
• Total Over 231.5 points for 1.90;
• Handicap 2 (-7.5) for 2.55.