Without LeBron James on the floor, the Lakers are -10.6 per 100 possessions. James (24.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 6.9 apg) won't play tonight due to a left adductor strain. Of course, James' absence already is built into this line. What I think the line doesn't fully account for is the Kings' improvement since the start of the season. Sacramento started 0-4 but has since won four of six, including Wednesday's 127-120 win over the Cavaliers. Seven Kings scored in double figures. Mike Brown's young team is loaded with offensive talent. Lay the points.

The big news for this game is that LeBron James (adductor) has been ruled out. The lone game that the Lakers played without him this season, they lost by 23 points to the Jazz. They lack depth, so while Russell Westbrook should see more scoring opportunities in this game, they don’t have enough options behind him to help offset the loss of James. This could be a laugher for a Kings team that has won four of their last six games.