Jan. 1, 2026, 11:40 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
The Boston Celtics<\/a> (20-12) face the Sacramento Kings<\/a> (8-25) Thursday. Tip-off from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, is set for 10 p.m. ET (NBA TV). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s<\/a> NBA odds around the Celtics vs. Kings odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions<\/a> for the best bets.<\/p>\n 2024-2025 season series: Split 1-1<\/p>\n The Celtics continued their strong run Tuesday, winning for the fifth time in 6 games with a 129-119 road victory over the Utah Jazz. Boston covered as a 4-point favorite as the Over (247) cashed. G Derrick White poured in 27 points, scoring 13 in the fourth quarter and adding a career-high 7 blocks. G Jaylen Brown finished with 23 points and 10 assists, snapping his 9-game streak of 30-point performances.<\/p>\n The Kings\u2019 struggles continued Tuesday night with a lopsided 131-90 loss to the LA Clippers. Sacramento failed to cover as a 10-point road underdog and the Over (216.5) cashed. G Nique Clifford led the Kings with 18 points, while C Maxime Raynaud posted 12 points and 12 rebounds. Sacramento dropped its fifth straight road game and fell to 3-12 since Nov. 26.<\/p>\n Watch the NBA on Fubo!<\/a>Celtics at Kings odds<\/p>\n Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook<\/a> access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub<\/a> for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:40 a.m. ET.<\/p>\n Moneyline (ML): Celtics -425 (bet $425 to win $100) | Kings +320 (bet $100 to win $320)Against the spread (ATS): Celtics -9.5 (-110) | Kings +9.5 (-110)Over\/Under (O\/U): 227.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)Celtics at Kings key injuries<\/p>\n Celtics<\/p>\n G\u00a0Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out<\/p>\n Kings<\/p>\n G\u00a0Zach LaVine (ankle) outC\u00a0Domantas Sabonis (knee) out<\/p>\n For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Celtics at Kings picks and predictionsPrediction<\/p>\n Celtics 120, Kings 98<\/p>\n PASS.<\/p>\n The Celtics (-425) should win Thursday without much trouble, but I\u2019ll take the spread instead for much better odds.<\/p>\n BET CELTICS -9.5 (-110).<\/p>\n I\u2019m not overthinking this one — Sacramento is in a bad place right now, and the last week has been especially rough. The Kings have dropped 12 of their last 15 games and just got embarrassed in back-to-back losses in Los Angeles, including a 41-point blowout by the Clippers. That\u2019s not a team trending in the right direction.<\/p>\n Boston, meanwhile, looks steady and confident. The Celtics just handled Utah on the road with balanced scoring and strong defense, and this is still one of the most reliable teams in the league when they\u2019re favored. They\u2019ve covered consistently in this range, and their depth really shows against teams that can\u2019t keep up for 48 minutes.<\/p>\n Sacramento\u2019s injury situation doesn\u2019t help. Without Sabonis and LaVine, the Kings are thin up front and short on scoring options.<\/p>\n Boston has won 7 of the last 8 meetings in this matchup, and the gap between these teams feels wide right now. I\u2019m laying the points and trusting the Celtics to pull away.<\/p>\n BET UNDER 227.5 (-110).<\/p>\n Boston has been locked in defensively, allowing just 110.8 points per game, a top-5 mark in the league, and that has driven the Under in 5 of its last 8 outings. Sacramento\u2019s offense has been inconsistent during its recent skid, and key injuries have limited scoring upside. The Under has also cashed in 3 straight head-to-head meetings and in 2 of the Kings\u2019 last 3 games. With Boston controlling pace and defending at a high level, this one profiles as a lower-scoring affair.<\/p>\n For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com<\/a> and BetFTW<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter\/X<\/a> and like us on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n Access more NBA coverage:<\/p>\n HoopsHype<\/a> | Celtics Wire<\/a> | Nets Wire<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Rockets Wire<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Sixers Wire<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Thunder Wire<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Warriors Wire<\/a>\u00a0| LeBron Wire<\/a> |\u00a0Rookie Wire<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0List Wire<\/a><\/p>\n Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.<\/p>\n Gambling involves risk. 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