The Sacramento Kings lit the beam Wednesday night while performing a test in preparation for the 2025-26 NBA season.
Fans took to social media to share photos and revel in the sight of the team’s purple beacon of victory, but how many times will the Kings light the beam this season? The oddsmakers believe they will win fewer than 40 games for the first time since 2021-22.
Sacramento won 48 games to secure the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference in 2022-23, ending the longest playoff drought in NBA history. The Kings won 46 games in 2023-24 and 40 games in 2024-25, missing the playoffs after losing in the play-in tournament both years.
The Kings are expected to compete for a play-in spot again this season with new head coach Doug Christie leading a team that features Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk and Keon Ellis. Anything more than that would defy the odds.
BetMGM has Sacramento’s over/under win total set at 37.5 games. DraftKings has a slightly higher number at 38.5, up from 36.5 last month.
In July, Griffin Wong of DraftKings wrote: “In any given season, most teams are either trying to compete for a championship or tanking to maximize their lottery odds. It seems like the Sacramento Kings, who have played in the NBA Play-In Tournament in each of the past two seasons, are doing neither.
“This season, the Kings are projected to be around the fringes of the Play-In Tournament yet again, with a win total of 36.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook, the 11th-highest in the ultra-stacked Western Conference.”