Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers and Prediction for Sunday, December 28, 2025
Sacramento Kings (7-23) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (19-10)
The NBA betting action continues Sunday, December 28, 2025, with the six-game card, and in this preview, we are breaking down a Pacific Division showdown from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA, to get you the Kings vs. Lakers prediction.
The Kings take on the Lakers for the second time this season. Back in October, the Lakers beat the Kings 127-120 as 3.5-point road underdogs. Now, the Lakers are looking for their sixth consecutive SU and ATS victory over the Kings.
Let’s look closer at this Kings vs. Lakers prediction, one of our NBA picks for Sunday’s slate. The tip-off at Crypto.com Arena is set at 9:30 PM ET.
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The Kings play without rest
Saturday’s games have been excluded from the analysis, and the lowly Sacramento Kings hosted the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday afternoon. The Kings have only won two of their previous 12 games overall, so Sacramento was dead last in the Western Conference on Saturday morning.
Last Sunday, the Kings stunned the Houston Rockets 125-124 in overtime to stop their five-game slide. Two days later, the Kings suffered a 136-127 defeat to the Detroit Pistons. After tallying 27 points against the Rockets, DeMar DeRozan dropped 37 points on the Pistons.
The Kings score just 109.8 points per 100 possessions (29th in the NBA) and allow 120.1 points in return (27th). They were quite shorthanded on Saturday, missing Zach LaVine (20.2 PPG), Domantas Sabonis (17.2 PPG, 12.3 RPG), and Keegan Murray (14.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG).
The Lakers hope to snap their three-game skid
The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled a bit lately and are winless in three straight outings. During that stretch, the Lakers have suffered a couple of road losses at the LA Clippers 103-88 and the Phoenix Suns 132-108, along with a 119-96 home defeat to the Houston Rockets.
Last Tuesday, the Lakers fell apart in Phoenix, playing without Luka Doncic (33.7 PPG, 8.7 APG, 8.5 RPG) and Austin Reaves (26.6 PPG, 6.3 APG). Doncic returned to the lineup two days later, but the Lakers failed to cope with the Rockets, who outrebounded Purple-and-Gold 48-25.
The Lakers tally 118.4 points per 100 possessions (7th in the NBA) and surrender 118.9 points in return (26th). They cannot count on Austin Reaves, who’ll miss a few weeks with a calf injury, while Jaxson Hayes (5.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG) is questionable for Sunday’s clash against Sacramento.
Kings vs. Lakers Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Insiders Room | +1,793.00 |
| 2 |  Tony Karpinski | +1,731.00 |
| 3 |  Jesse Schule | +1,599.00 |
| 4 |  Rob Vinciletti | +1,284.00 |
| 5 |  David Delano | +1,232.00 |
Spread Pick for Kings vs. Lakers
- Los Angeles Lakers (4 units)
The Lakers lean on their offense, but they’ve struggled to score over the last three games. That will change when the Kings come to town. Sacramento will have to deal with fatigue on the second day of a back-to-back while missing some very important players.
The Kings have struggled to defend all season. They lack height, and Domantas Sabonis’ and Keegan Murray’s absence is just making things worse. Sacramento is 29th in the league in opposing 2-point percentage (59.2%), 21st in free throws allowed per 100 possessions (25.4), and 26th in defensive rebound percentage (72.0%).
The Lakers love to attack the paint and get to the free-throw line as much as possible. They lead the NBA in free-throw rate (.340) and 2-point percentage (60.4%). I expect a bounce-back performance from the Lakers.
Over/Under Pick for Kings vs. Lakers
- Over (4 units)
Both teams are far away from an elite level on the defensive side of the ball. I have to take the over, even though neither side leans on 3-pointers. The Lakers are 20th in the NBA in 3-point rate (.404), and the Kings rank 29th in this category (.340).
The Kings will continue to struggle in the paint. In their previous meeting with Los Angeles, the Lakers took a staggering 46 free-throw attempts, and the game flew over the 224.5-point line. I expect more of the same, so give me the over on the total.
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