New York Knicks at Sacramento Kings on Friday, January 8 looks like a mismatch on paper. Our ratings give the Knicks 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 Knicks 81%, with a projected score of New York Knicks 118, Sacramento Kings 109. The rating gap is 354 points in favor of the Knicks, and home court and rest add about 100 rating points for the Kings 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 Knicks are 0-2 this season and 2-3 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -1.8. The Kings are 0-2 this season and 1-4 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -8.8.
The Kings were beaten 121-96 on the road by LAC not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: Dylan Cardwell (SAC), expected back Nov 2, 2026, Maxime Raynaud (SAC), expected back Nov 2, 2026, and Ben Simmons (SAC), expected back Oct 1, 2027.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Knicks lead 3-1, with the Knicks outscoring the Kings by an average of 14.2 points per game. The last meeting was SAC 87, NYK 103.