Alex Hunter breaks down his analysis, prediction and pick for tonight’s matchup between the Clippers and the Kings.

The Clippers are hosting the Kings on Tuesday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Los Angeles is favored by 9.5 points and this game carries a total of 220.5 points.

Below, I break down the matchup and provide a pick for the game.

Clippers vs. Kings preview, prediction

The Clippers have been a major disappointment this season, sitting at 10-21, but the club has found some serious life recently. Los Angeles has won four games in a row and these victories haven’t been against weak teams, defeating the Lakers, Rockets, Trail Blazers and Pistons, in that order. All of these wins have been by at least 13 points and during this win streak, the Clippers rank first in net rating and top-three in both offensive and defensive rating.

Los Angeles has done all this damage despite Ivica Zubac (ankle) missing two straight games, as Kawhi Leonard and James Harden both are playing like stars again. Leonard went off for a career-high 55 points vs. Detroit on Sunday, which was extremely impressive considering the Pistons rank second in defensive rating this season.

A MASTERPIECE FROM KAWHI LEONARD!

🖐️ 55 PTS (career-high)
🖐️ 11 REB
🖐️ 5 STL
🖐️ 3 BLK
🖐️ 5 3PM

That ties the Clippers franchise record for PTS in a game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PMacnRiUxW

— NBA (@NBA) December 29, 2025

The two-time NBA Finals MVP is averaging 39.8 PPG during this win streak for the Clippers and Leonard was named the Western Conference Player of the Week. While Leonard has stole the show, Harden has been awesome as well, averaging 28.0 points and 7.3 assists per game during the win streak. Additionally, Brook Lopez has been solid on both ends of the floor as Zubac’s replacement starter at center.

It’s difficult to say what exactly made the Clippers flip the switch so dramatically, but nonetheless, their recent play has been very encouraging and it’s hard to imagine the Kings slowing Los Angeles down tonight.

Sacramento is 8-24 and the team ranks 29th in net rating this season. The Kings rank bottom-five in both offensive and defensive rating, and they have severely struggled to score the ball at times this season. Just this past Sunday night, Sacramento’s offensive woes were on full display vs. the Lakers, losing this matchup 125-101, despite Los Angeles ranking just 23rd in defensive rating this season.

Sacramento is missing Domantas Sabonis (knee) and Zach LaVine (ankle), and Keegan Murray (calf) is questionable. Even if Murray plays, the Kings still have one of the weakest rosters in the league, with fading veterans in DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schroder at the helm. Sacramento has a few solid home wins on its resume this season, but on the road, the club is a terrible 3-14 with a 10.2-point margin of defeat, so facing the surging Clippers on their home floor certainly will be a challenge for the Kings this evening.

Clippers vs. Kings pick, best bet

While just a four-game sample, the Clippers look like a completely different team during this win streak. Los Angeles should be a confident group tonight and the club should get an easy win over the lowly Kings.

The Clippers have won each of their last four games by at least 13 points and they should be able to cover this 9.5-point spread.

Best Bet: Clippers -9.5 (-118)