Boston Celtics vs Sacramento Kings Picks and Prediction for Thursday January 1 2026

By: Eddie Kline Updated 01/01/2026, 10:29 AM ET

Celtics Preview

In Friday night NBA action, the Boston Celtics will invade the Golden 1 Center to take on the Sacramento Kings. For other NBA action see our NBA Predictions. The Celtics (20-12) have won seven of their last ten games and are sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference standings. On Tuesday, Boston outscored Utah by 15 points during the second half to earn a 129-119 road victory.

Derrick White led a balanced Boston scoring attack with 27 points (8-16 FG), seven rebounds, and six assists. All-Star G Jaylen Brown contributed 23 points (9-19 FG), ten assists, and six rebounds. Anfernee Simons added 20 points in 28 minutes off the bench for the Celtics, who shot 51 percent from the field.

Kings Preview

The Sacramento Kings have dropped eight of their previous ten games and own the second worst record in the Western Conference. The Kings (8-25) rank near the bottom of the league in offensive efficiency and are averaging a measly 111 points per contest. On Tuesday, Sacramento missed 18 of 27 three-point attempts during an ugly 131-90 road loss against LA.

Nique Clifford led five Sacramento players in double figures with 18 points (7-12 FG) in 22 minutes off the bench. Rookie C Maxime Raynaud scored 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds. Veteran G Russell Westbrook added 12 points and four assists for the Kings, who fell to 3-15 on the road.

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Celtics vs Kings Pick

Sacramento G Zach LaVine (ankle) was ruled out of Tuesday’s loss and is listed as questionable for this game. The Celtics play at the second slowest tempo in the league and the Kings struggle to score. Look for Boston to win on the road in a game that stays under the total. Final Score Prediction, Boston Celtics win 111-102. Betting on sports and on the Celtics is easy, but even easier if you use the best sportsbooks. Make sure you know about how the fans are looking on prediction markets for the Kings with the social sportsbooks. Getting the most out of your bets on Kings vs Celtics can be done by using the Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.

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