Bet on Kings to cover as road favorites against Pelicans in NBA Play-In Tournament game

After blowing past Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors at home earlier in the week, the Sacramento Kings travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans in a do-or-die NBA play-in game Friday night.

The winner will be rewarded with a seven-game series against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.

Unfortunately, New Orleans will have to find a way to win without Zion Williamson, as he has already been ruled out for the game.

Even if the Pelicans can snag a win at home against an equally battered Kings team that will miss Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk, two key wing players, they won’t get Williamson back for at least two weeks.

Can Brandon Ingram and company fill the offensive void left by Williamson’s absence, or will the Kings sneak through the backdoor for their second consecutive playoff appearance?

(9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)

The main storyline for this game between the Kings and Pelicans is the absence of Williamson, who injured his hamstring in the fourth quarter of the Pels’ first Play-In Tournament game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Williamson had carried New Orleans back from a double-digit deficit to tie the Lakers in the fourth quarter, posting 40 points, with 11 rebounds and five assists before exiting.

He wasn’t just the primary source of offense for the Pelicans; he was practically the only source. No other player scored more than 12 points and C.J. McCollum finished with nine points on inefficient shooting.

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Meanwhile, the Kings easily handled the Warriors, pulling away in the third quarter and not looking back. Keegan Murray led the way with 32 points, knocking down eight 3-pointers and reeling in nine boards.

Keon Ellis also stepped up and provided 39 exceptional minutes for the Kings despite being in just his second NBA season.

The main concern in backing the Pels in this spot is not only Williamson’s injury but the fact that Brandon Ingram is not at 100% either, evidenced by his 11-point outing on 4-for-12 shooting from the floor in just 25 minutes against the Warriors.

Ingram has a knee injury that sidelined him for several weeks, and he doesn’t look as if he is in full health, further accentuating the Pels’ offensive problems.

If Ingram is not at full strength and has another poor shooting performance alongside McCollum, this game could be over shortly after it starts.

Sacramento should pull away late and secure a do-or-die win against a shorthanded, deflated Pels squad.

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