Two teams with different goals for the rest of the season clash under the bright lights on Sunday, as the Los Angeles Lakers host the Sacramento Kings to cap off the weekend NBA slate.
With the visitors struggling immensely and the home club looking to fine-tune things for a potential postseason run, a 9:30 p.m. tip provides a little bit of everything for hoops fans.
Below, we’ll break down our Kings vs. Lakers prediction and picks for Sunday night’s game. Make your NBA picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Kings vs. Lakers Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
Last season, the Lakers went 50-32 in head coach JJ Redick’s debut campaign and also acquired PG Luka Doncic via trade from the Dallas Mavericks. Entering Sunday’s play, they’re pacing for a similar record but have gone just 5-5 in their last 10.
The Kings, meanwhile, qualified for the play-in tournament a year ago after winning 40 regular-season games. It’s mathematically impossible to achieve that feat again, as the Kings’ 14-47 record is the worst in the NBA, including an ugly 5-27 mark on the road.
Sunday marks the 457th regular-season bout between these Pacific Division rivals. The Lakers hold a commanding 287-169 series lead, but it was Sacramento who won the most recent meeting on January 12.
Kings vs. Lakers Spread, Over/Under
The Kings enter Sunday’s game as 13.5-point road underdogs, returning a 5.88x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Lakers are home favorites with a 1.12x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 34 states.
- Spread: Los Angeles Lakers -13.5
- Over/Under: 231.5
- Game Winner Payout: Kings 5.88x | Lakers 1.12x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Kings vs. Lakers Injury Report
Let’s dive into the full Kings vs. Lakers injury report for Sunday, via NBA.com.
Sacramento Kings Injury Report
- F Keegan Murray (ankle): OUT
Los Angeles Lakers Injury Report
- N/A — not yet submitted
Because they're on the second night of a back-to-back, the Lakers hadn't provided an injury report when this article was written. F Rui Rui Hachimura (illness) missed Saturday's win over the Golden State Warriors.
Kings vs. Lakers Prediction on Spread
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Kings vs. Lakers prediction on spread for Sunday, March 1 on PrizePicks.
- Only one team has a cover rate below 40% this year: the Kings. They’re 24-37 against the spread overall, including a 12-19 figure as road underdogs.
- The Lakers are one of basketball’s better home teams when it comes to covering, sitting 12-7 ATS (fourth).
- A dreadful offense holds the Kings back, as they’re second-to-last in scoring (110.4 PPG) and dead last in effective field goal percentage (51.9).
- Defensively, Sacramento isn’t much better, allowing the third-most points in the paint per night (54.2) and the fifth-most average assists (27.6).
- The Lakers get quality looks, sitting first in both 2-point percentage (59.5) and overall shooting percentage (49.9).
- On the other end of the floor, Los Angeles ranks an ugly 27th in eFG% at 56.2.
Kings vs. Lakers Picks for PrizePicks Today: 3/1/26
Here are three top Kings vs. Lakers picks to target for Sunday, March 1 on PrizePicks. Player stat projections via PrizePicks are headlined by F DeMar DeRozan, PG Luka Doncic, and SG Austin Reaves.
Kings F DeMar DeRozan vs. Lakers Projection: 21.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- On the season, DeRozan averages 25.3 points, rebounds, and assists (PRA). In his last 10 games, however, he’s seeing 25.9 minutes each night and posting only 20.1 PRA.
- DeRozan’s 22.1% usage rate is his lowest since 2009-10 (18.1%), when he came into the league as a rookie.
- The Lakers surrender the second-fewest rebounds to their opponents each outing (48.8).
- After posting an assist clip of 20% or higher in nine straight years, this is the second campaign in a row DeRozan has been under 19%.
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Lakers PG Luka Doncic vs. Kings Projection: 32.5 Points
- Doncic is pacing to be the NBA’s scoring leader for the second time in his career, averaging 32.6 PPG on the year.
- Since the start of the calendar year, Doncic’s 3-ball is coming around. He’s made 39.9% of his shots from deep dating back to January 2 after hitting just 32.2% to start the season.
- The Don is hot from midrange, making 57.0% of his tries from 3-10 feet and 52.6% from 10-16 feet.
- Sacramento gives up 26.27 PPG to the PG position, the seventh-most for an NBA team, per FantasyPros.
Lakers SG Austin Reaves vs. Kings Projection: 30.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Reaves pours in an average of 34.7 PRA each night.
- Per databallr, Reaves’ +8.7% relative true shooting percentage and 26.4 shots per 100 rank in the 99th and 89th percentiles, respectively.
- AR-15 has a career-high 8.5% rebounding clip, bolstered by a 14.2% defensive rebounding rate.
- Reaves spends 34% of his time on-ball, via NBARAPM, the highest share of his career to date.
Make Kings vs. Lakers Picks on PrizePicks
Kings vs. Lakers picks aren’t the only avenue hoops fans have to getting in on the daily NBA action.
You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 34 states.
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