Sacramento at Los Angeles

Sacramento went 22-60 last season, and Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and De'Andre Hunter were all shut down before the year was over. None of the three is on tonight's injury report. I'm discounting that record, because it was earned without the core that takes the floor in this opener. The Kings were also 7-34 on the road last season, and the center spot is thin tonight with Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell both out. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr., the seventh overall pick, is set to start at point guard after reaching double figures in all four of his preseason games. The Clippers finished 42-40 and traded Kawhi Leonard to Toronto. His replacement, Brandon Ingram, averaged 21.5 points last season and is out for this game, as is Bradley Beal. Max Strus is also out, with the club saying he would miss at least four weeks. The team laying points in this opener is working with a rotation missing the players it spent the summer collecting, in a game where neither side has a single regular-season result to its name. Sacramento's lineup has more proven scorers than that Clippers group, and a starting five led by Sabonis and LaVine can stay inside the number against it. I'm taking the Kings with the points.