Sacramento Kings at Phoenix Suns on Saturday, January 2 looks like a mismatch on paper. Our ratings give the Suns about a 81% chance, and the Kings would need an unusual night to change that.
Why the gap is wide
The Win Meter reads the Suns 81%, with a projected score of Sacramento Kings 109, Phoenix Suns 118. The rating gap is 151 points in favor of the Suns, and home court and rest add about 100 rating points for the Suns on top of that.
A reading this high has real meaning, but upsets of this size happen. Nearly one game in 5 like it goes the other way.
Recent form
The Kings are 0-2 this season and 1-4 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -8.8. The Suns are 0-1 this season and 0-5 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -22.
The Kings were beaten 121-96 on the road by LAC not long ago.
The Suns were beaten 124-83 on the road by POR not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: Dylan Cardwell (SAC), expected back Nov 2, 2026, Maxime Raynaud (SAC), expected back Nov 2, 2026, Ben Simmons (SAC), expected back Oct 1, 2027, and Mark Williams (PHX), expected back Feb 3, 2027.
Day to day or questionable: Luke Kennard (PHX) and Oso Ighodaro (PHX). Their status can change before tip-off.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Suns lead 5-3, with the Suns outscoring the Kings by an average of 3.4 points per game. The last meeting was PHX 114, SAC 103.