Bucks vs. Kings Predictions, Picks & Odds: NBA on ESPN, Saturday 3/22

In the midst of March Madness, the Saturday NBA slate is a smaller one with just five games, but we’ve got a featured one on NBATV between the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings. Both teams have their eyes on the postseason, so we’re here to share our Bucks vs. Kings predictions for tonight.
We’ll also share how to claim a guaranteed $200 DraftKings Sportsbook sign up bonus, even if you don’t end up using the best bet from our Bucks vs. Kings picks!
Bucks vs. Kings Predictions for NBA on NBATV, 3/22
While both teams may have their focus on the playoffs, they aren’t exactly looking from the same perspective. Milwaukee is all but in the clear to earn a top-six seed for a “real” playoff spot, while Sacramento looks destined to be in the Play-In Tournament.
It’s also a matchup of teams in different conferences, so it’s not one that we see often. They’ve met once, which was back in the middle of January, and as expected, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks came away with the victory. They’re also the ones entering this clash off a road win on Thursday night, while Sacramento is coming off a home loss.
So, seeing the Bucks vs. Kings odds have Milwaukee as the favorites is unsurprising, but we’re not going to be targeting the point spread for the best bet from our Bucks vs. Kings predictions.
Milwaukee Bucks: Blowing Out Bronny
We just noted the Bucks recent win, but that was underselling it a bit. Not only were they on the road, but they brought the Los Angeles Lakers back down to Earth from their recent win by beating them by 29 points!
While LeBron James remains off the court with his groin injury, it was a game in which we saw his son, Bronny James, put up 17 points. While that stole the spotlight from Milwaukee getting a blowout win, they were the ones who had three players score at least 20 points, including a bench player in Gary Trent
Sacramento Kings: DeMar DeRozan’s Revenge
The downside of Sacramento’s Thursday night was not only losing at home, but losing to a very mediocre Chicago Bulls team. That matchup also meant a revenge game for DeMar DeRozan. While he may not have lit up the scoreboard for a history-setting individual night, he did still make history.
He did so by becoming just the 27th player in NBA history to score more than 25,000 career points. It was DeRozan’s fifth straight game scoring 20+ points, and if the Kings are going to get back into the win column, he’ll need to make it six straight tonight. He did have 28 points when these teams met back in January.
Bucks vs. Kings Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
As noted, Milwaukee is favored despite being on the road tonight, and you can see the latest Bucks vs. Kings odds at DraftKings Sportsbook here:
- Point Spread: Milwaukee Bucks -1.5 (-110) vs. Sacramento Kings +1.5 (-110)
- Money Line: Milwaukee Bucks (-120) vs. Sacramento Kings (+102)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 227.5 (-110) vs. Under 227.5 (-110)
Bucks vs. Kings Best Bet: Over 227.5 Points (-110 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
As we also noted, we’re going to stay away from the point spread when it comes to the best bet from our Bucks vs. Kings predictions. However, we’re still going to stick with a standard market, which will be the total. In that regard, we’re anticipating a higher-scoring game than the odds would suggest.
For those who may want to stick with picking a side, the Kings have been quite terrible at covering the spread this season, as they have the sixth-worst ATS record. We’re still not focusing on that trend since they’re 7-4 ATS in March, so we’re instead going to focus on their trend of higher-scoring games.
When it comes to overs, Sacramento has the eight-best record in the NBA. The last meeting between these teams was the perfect illustration of that, as not only did it go over the total, but it also did so by a whopping 18 points! With DeRozan playing just as strong as he did then and Giannis Antetokounmpo always in MVP form, there’s no reason to expect any difference.
After all, if the Bulls can put up 128 points on the Kings, we’re confident that Milwaukee can do the same. On top of all that, the Kings actually average even more points per game than the favorite tonight, and rank even above the Boston Celtics in that regard.
Everything above is a perfect recipe for us to lock in the best bet from our Bucks vs. Kings predictions on the over 227.5 points (-110 at DraftKings Sportsbook).
Bucks vs. Kings Injury Report & Starting Lineups
As far as injuries go, the Bucks were even able to pull off such a huge win over the Lakers without Damian Lillard. However, he’s only listed as day-to-day and is expected to go tonight. For the Kings, we know that Domantas Sabonis will miss at least another week with his ankle injury. We’ve also got the expected starting lineups for you:
MIL Bucks:
SAC Kings:
- Malik Monk
- Zach LaVine
- DeMar DeRozan
- Keegan Murray
- Jonas Valanciunas
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Player News
Anthony Davis (adductor) and Brandon Williams (oblique) are probable for Friday’s game against the Grizzlies.
Davis was listed as probable Wednesday against the Kings, but ultimately played 35 minutes and had 27 points in the win. The 32-year-old is once again listed as probable with the adductor injury that sidelined him earlier this season. Davis figures to be available as the Mavericks battle the Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the Western Conference on Friday.
Ja Morant (ankle) is questionable for Friday’s game against the Mavericks.
Morant told reporters after Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors that he expects to play Friday. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old point guard missed practice Thursday and is officially listed as questionable with a right ankle sprain. While it’s hard to envision Morant sitting out a game of importance like Friday’s, his ankle is clearly bothering him. If Morant is out, Santi Aldama and Luke Kennard will be in line for extra minutes with Kennard potentially moving into the starting lineup.
Trae Young (Achilles) is probable for Friday’s game against the Heat.
Even in the postseason, the Hawks continue to list Young as probable with an Achilles injury. The listing is performative, stemming from Young being held out of an NBA Cup game earlier this season despite not appearing on the injury report, which resulted in a $100K fine for the Hawks. With the Hawks’ season on the line Friday, expect Young to be cleared to play once again.
Pelle Larsson (ankle) and Nikola Jovic (hand) are questionable for Friday’s game against the Hawks.
No big surprises on the Heat injury report heading into Friday’s game. While Larsson and Jovic are questionable, Duncan Robinson (back), Alec Burks (back) and Haywood Highsmith (Achilles) are all available. Larsson was questionable, but ultimately available against the Bulls Wednesday, though he didn’t play due to coach’s decision. Jovic was out Wednesday as he hasn’t played since February with a broken right hand.
Ja Morant (ankle) missed practice on Thursday and will be a game-time decision against the Mavericks on Friday.
Morant finished out Tuesday’s game against the Warriors after injuring his ankle during overtime and said after the game that he will play on Friday. It’s difficult to imagine him not suiting up for a win-or-go-home game, but the ankle is clearly bothering him quite a bit, which could impact his performance on the court. If something changes, Santi Aldama and Luke Kennard will take on extra minutes, with Kennard potentially replacing Morant in the starting unit.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports Damian Lillard has been cleared of his deep vein thrombosis and is no longer on blood-thinning medication.
Charania also reported that this is an incredibly quick recovery for Lillard that was made possible by early treatment. It is an excellent development for both Dame and the Bucks. He has been ruled out for Game 1 against the Pacers on Saturday, and they will give him time to ramp up before he returns to the lineup. It’s unclear what that timeline looks like, but Lillard is certainly on pace to return sooner rather than later. Ryan Rollins should continue to start in place of Dame until he returns.