This is far more a play against the Kings then a play on the Lakers.

Sacramento really struggles without DeMarcus Cousins, its best player and go-to guy. The Kings beat Utah, 101-92, at home last night. The Jazz have lost nine in a row and missed 14 of 17 shots from 3-point range. All of the Kings starters except one played between 32 and 36 minutes.

This was just the second time in 18 games the Kings have won when Cousins hasn't played. Cousins is suffering from viral meningitis and is expected to be out for at least another week. Even with the win over the pathetic Jazz, the Kings are giving up six more points per game when Cousins has been out.

Sacramento doesn't have a strong bench. Due to quirky scheduling, this is the Kings' only road matchup during an 11-game stretch. It's also their fourth game in five days. The combination of being on the road, not having Cousins and carrying a high fatigue rating all work strongly against the Kings.

The Lakers last played on Sunday and didn't play well in a home loss to the Pelicans. But in their previous home game, the Lakers knocked off Toronto. The Lakers have won 11 of the past 12 home meetings against the Kings and covered all four games last season versus Sacramento.