Sacramento Kings vs New Orleans Pelicans Player Prop Picks 2/12/25 NBA Picks

The Sacramento Kings (27-26) are set to face the New Orleans Pelicans (12-41) on February 12, 2025, at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. This marks the third meeting between the two teams this season, with the Kings having won the previous two matchups.

The Kings are coming off a thrilling 129-128 overtime victory against the Dallas Mavericks, highlighted by DeMar DeRozan’s 42-point performance. Offensively, Sacramento ranks eighth in the league, excelling in midrange efficiency and free-throw shooting. However, their defense has been a concern, currently ranked 20th, with particular struggles in three-point defense.

The Pelicans, on the other hand, are enduring a challenging season, currently on a nine-game losing streak. They possess the league’s lowest defensive rating and have difficulties in defensive rebounding, allowing opponents numerous second-chance opportunities. Offensively, New Orleans ranks 26th, struggling with efficiency across all scoring levels. 

DeMar DeRozan Over 20.5 Points

Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan has been a consistent scorer this NBA season. He’s averaging 21.9 points per game, ranking him 27th in the league. His shooting efficiency includes a field goal percentage of 49.0%. DeRozan’s contributions have been instrumental in the Kings’ offensive strategies this season. 

DeRozan is coming off a game where he scored 42 points against the Dallas Mavericks in a thrilling overtime win. Last season when DeRozan was on the Bulls when he got hot he would stay hot for multiple games. Something tells me that 42-point performance isn’t going to be DeRozan’s last big game before All-Star break. He has a favorable matchup going against the Pelicans who have been lackluster on the defensive side of the ball. I’m not saying DeRozan will go for 40-plus points again but he should be able to get over this number in this matchup.

CJ McCollum Over 2.5 Three Pointers

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has been a significant contributor from beyond the arc during the 2024-25 NBA season. He’s averaging 3.2 made three-pointers per game on 8.3 attempts, resulting in a 38.1% three-point shooting percentage. This performance underscores McCollum’s role as a key perimeter threat for the Pelicans, providing valuable spacing and scoring in their offensive schemes.

With the Pelicans trading Brandon Ingram away and the season-long injury to Dejounte Murray New Orleans has had to rely heavily on CJ McCollum to score the ball. We’ve seen him clear this line of 2.5 3-pointers in his last three games and he’s coming off a game where he made six three-pointers against this same Kings team. The Kings are giving up 14.5 three-pointers per game to opposing teams which is tied for the most in the league. If the Pelicans want to keep up in this game CJ McCollum will have to dial in from beyond the arc.

Keegan Murray Over 6 Rebounds

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray has demonstrated notable improvement in his rebounding during the 2024-25 NBA season. Over 49 games, he is averaging 7.1 rebounds per game, a career-high and a significant increase from his 5.5 rebounds per game in the previous season. His rebounding efforts are well-distributed, with 2.2 offensive rebounds and 4.9 defensive rebounds per game. Murray’s enhanced presence on the boards has been instrumental in the Kings’ performance this season, contributing to both their defensive stability and offensive second-chance opportunities. 

Keegan Murray has cleared this line of six rebounds in seven of his last 10 games. When you think of this Kings team you think of Sabonis cleaning up on the glass but Murray has quietly been one of this team’s better rebounders. He has a favorable matchup going against the Pelicans who are giving up 54.9 rebounds per game to opposing teams which is the third most in the whole league.