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2025-26 Sacramento Kings Predictions and Odds to Win NBA Finals

by Spencer Toth - 10/10/2025

Sacramento Kings predictions DeMar DeRozan

The Sacramento Kings have rolled out a competitive lineup over the last few seasons, but they have consistently fallen short of expectations. They made the playoffs just once in the last 20 years, losing to the Warriors in the first round in 2023. A pair of play-in tournament exits in the last two years has this team once again at a crossroads. Are the Kings good enough to challenge for a playoff spot this season, or will it be another lost year with a middling draft pick and no tangible results?

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Sacramento Kings Offseason Recap

The Sacramento Kings were relatively inactive in the offseason, opting to sit tight with their trade deadline deals they made last year. This will be the first full season without De’Aaron Fox on the roster since 2017, and the Kings will be hoping they did enough in the offseason to offset his departure. The best signing Sacramento brought in was Dennis Schroder.

Schroder has bounced around the league in recent seasons, but he will be hoping he has found a home in Sacramento for the foreseeable future. He’s switched teams nine times in the last five years, suiting up for at least 15 games with each of those franchises. His leadership both on and off the court is a valuable asset for developing teams, and he will be the primary facilitator in Sacramento this season. He averaged 5.3 assists and 1.7 turnovers with the Nets at the end of last season, and can be effective regardless of his role with the team. 

The Kings also made a one-for-one trade with the Nuggets, swapping Jonas Valanciunas for Dario Saric. Valanciunas had a limited role with Sacramento last season, playing 16.9 minutes per game across his 32 appearances. Saric offers a more defensive approach compared to Valanciunas, and the incoming Croatian is also comfortable dishing the ball from the post on offense. 

In the draft, Sacramento selected Nique Clifford with their 14th overall selection. Clifford is ready to have an impact on the Kings this season as he is already 23 years old and has developed nicely into his frame. Clifford has no shortage of hustle on both ends of the court and is the perfect glue guy for the Kings to add to the rotation. His defensive versatility, combined with consistent offense from all three levels, makes him an NBA-ready talent. However, his lack of high-level experience in college allowed him to slip into the middle of the first round. 

Sacramento Kings Season Expectations

The Kings will likely be a team fighting to qualify for the play-in tournament this season. They finished 40-42 for 10th place in the Western Conference last season. They didn’t make any meaningful additions or subtractions this offseason, but could be a sneaky team to watch if they can gel as a unit. 

DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are the two faces of the Kings, both of whom played on the Bulls a couple of seasons ago. DeRozan and LaVine were far from best friends in Chicago, and it was truthfully surprising to see the Kings opt to reunite the duo. Both are high-volume shooters that like to have the ball in their hands, and it will be up to Schroder to make sure both superstars are satisfied with their opportunities. DeRozan hasn’t slowed down despite being on the wrong side of 35 years old, and he will be hoping to have one more chance at a deep playoff run before he calls it a career. 

The Kings may lack an MVP-caliber talent, but they have a balanced starting five that can often outwork bottom-half NBA opposition. DeRozan and LaVine are the stars, but Domantas Sabonis cannot be forgotten either. Sabonis is an intimidating big man who can bully his opponents in the paint, and he does a great job at vacuuming up any loose balls. Keegan Murray has looked better and better every time he steps on the court, and the Kings look to have a promising season ahead of them if they can just put it all together. 

Sacramento Kings Schedule Breakdown

The Kings have two must-win games to kick off the season. The Suns and Jazz are both bottom-tier opposition, and if the Kings are serious about making the playoffs, they can’t afford to drop those contests. Due to Sacramento’s geographical location, the Kings have plenty of lengthy home stands and long road trips. They have a stretch of seven straight home games in early January, and a total of six road trips of four or more games. Their longest is a six-game trip immediately following the aforementioned seven-game home stand in January. 

Sacramento Kings Odds

The Sacramento Kings have a win total of 35.5 this season and are expected to be on the fringe of the play-in tournament. They have +170 odds to make the play-in, +320 odds to make the playoffs, with -500 odds to miss the playoffs. This is a team that has been able to consistently beat bad teams but has struggled against the top ten rosters in the league. They are long shots to make any waves in the playoffs with +22500 odds to win the Western Conference.

One path to tangible success for the Kings could be the NBA Cup. Sacramento has the Thunder, Timberwolves, Suns, and Jazz joining them in West Group A. The Kings are longshots to top the group at +950, but the privilege of playing the Thunder at home could allow them to pull off the upset. They have even longer odds to win the NBA Cup at +10000. 

2025-26 Sacramento Kings Season Predictions and Best Bets

The Sacramento Kings have too much talent on their roster to slip into the NBA draft lottery, but they don’t have enough going for them to make the playoffs either. I expect the Kings to be very average this season, finishing 39-43 in the regular season. Normally, I would hunt for longer odds rather than the standard over 35.5 wins, but there is minimal variance with how the Kings will do with this roster, as we have already seen what they are made of. They are good enough to surpass expectations, but not good enough to cash alternate win totals.

For the second bet, we will be taking Sacramento to win West Group A at +950 odds. Fading the OKC Thunder is never fun, but if the Kings can pull off that upset, they will be in pole position to win the group. Sacramento will undoubtedly be closer to +400 home underdogs against the Thunder in that game, making this a favorable price. It’s certainly a long shot, but I think the Kings win that group at least 10% of the time needed to be profitable. 

Top Pick: Sacramento Kings Over 35.5 Wins -110

Pick: Sacramento Kings to win NBA Cup West Group A +950

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