There’s a huge cross conference clash taking place this Monday night with the Sacramento Kings taking on the Milwaukee Bucks in California. Both sides have been in good form recently. So who will come out on top in this eagerly awaited clash at the Golden 1 Center? Let’s find out in our latest NBA betting picks.
Despite their recent good form and their position in the Western Conference, the best sports betting sites for the NBA finals aren’t giving Sacramento much of a chance of winning the big titles this season. The Kings are currently +2800 to win the Western Conference, and +6600 to win the 2023 NBA Championship finals.
In the betting to win the Pacific Division they are the favorites though. BetOnline makes the Kings -150 to win the division for only the third time in their history. Next is the Phoenix Suns, who are winners of the division for the past two years, and going for the three-peat. The Suns are +140 to make it three in a row, with the Golden State Warriors following at +1600.
In the betting to win the 2023 Championship, it’s still the Boston Celtics leading the way on +325. The Celtics are narrowly ahead of the Kings’ Monday night opponents, the Milwaukee Bucks, who are second at +400. Then comes the Phoenix Suns who are.+500, with the Denver Nuggets at +650, making up the top four in the betting.
More betting from the best sports betting sites can be found below on our odds table. These odds are taken from the best NBA betting sites, and you can read more about them on our best online sportsbook reviews page.
| Latest Betting to Win 2023 NBA Championship |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | +325 | +325 | +325 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Phoenix Suns | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Denver Nuggets | +650 | +650 | +650 |
| Golden State Warriors | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| LA Clippers | +1800 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +2000 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Sacramento Kings | +6600 | +6600 | +6000 |
Saturday night saw the Kings win their third match in a row when they went to Phoenix and cruised to a 128-119 win over the Suns. This was a landmark victory, as it also saw the Kings hit the 40-win mark for the first time since 2006.
The Kings are now second in the Western Conference. The win over the Suns sees them put daylight between themselves and the favorites to win the conference. Mike Brown’s chargers are fighting it out with the Memphis Grizzlies for second spot, with the Denver Nuggets well clear at the top.
The Nuggets have lost their last three though, so the Kings and the Grizzlies should be on notice and ready to pounce should the long term leaders continue to falter.
As for the Milwaukee Bucks, well, they’ve just suffered a Steph Curry inspired setback when they lost 125-116 to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night. In what was a tighter match than the scoreline suggests, the Bucks came back from three points down to tie the match at 111 each at the end of the 4th Period.
But in overtime, the Bucks were simply overwhelmed by the home side and ended up losing the match by 9 points.
Prior to that defeat, the Bucks have been in inspirational form. They lead the Eastern Conference having recently overhauled longtime leaders, the Boston Celtics. It’s a run of 19 wins from 21 games that has seen the Bucks achieve this. And with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way, the Bucks are looking more and more like the real deal with every match.
The defeat to the Warriors is a setback though. It might be only their second loss in 21 matches, but to look at it another way, it’s also their second loss in five matches. This comes after their 16-match winning run. A run that came to an end when the 76ers won 133-130 in Wisconsin just over one week ago
It’s important for the Bucks to keep believing though. They won the NBA finals in 2021, so are clearly a team of proven pedigree. A couple of setbacks isn’t the end of the world, and Mike Budenholzer knows this, and he also knows the importance of staying focussed, and getting back to winning ways as soon as possible.
This really is a mouth watering clash between two of the hottest teams in the NBA, and the betting odds totally reflect this. On the moneyline, the Bucks are just the favorites at -120, with the Kings at +100. On the spread, the Kings are getting just +1.5 points. Both the Kings and the Bucks are -110 in this market.
At home the Kings are 21-13, they have one of the worst home records of the top sides in the NBA. The reason they are at the top of the conference is more down to their away form, which is the best in the Western Conference. As for the Bucks, they are 20-13 on the road, almost identical to the Kings’ home record.
This is what makes calling this match so difficult. And also the recent form has to be taken into consideration as well, as there seems little point judging the Kings on a couple of home defeats at the back end of 2022 when comparing their home form to that of the Bucks’ away form.
Ultimately, we believe that this match will be decided on big game temperament, and this means we are leaning towards the Milwaukee Bucks. With little to choose between the handicap spread and the moneyline prices, we are going to go with the better odds of the former as our betting pick.
About the Author
Over the last 10 years, Dean has sharpened his expertise in crafting and revising content for his soccer and cricket betting platforms. Driven by his passion for sports betting and writing, he embarked on a journey of writing about sports wagering. Although Dean's preferred areas of focus are the English Premier League and cricket, his extensive sports knowledge enables him to tackle nearly any sport. Gone are the days of traveling the world to witness events like FIFA World Cups and Ashes cricket, as Dean now prefers the comfort of his own home while enjoying sports.
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