Magic and Kings meet with both losing streaks on the line

Two of the NBA's worst starts meet in Sacramento, and one losing streak has to end. Orlando arrives at 2-7 after four straight defeats, while Sacramento is 1-9, matching the worst 10-game start in franchise history and still winless at home.

Orlando's slide is mostly about health. Paolo Banchero is out with an ankle injury and has played only two games. Jalen Suggs, who has appeared in three, is listed with a knee injury, and Desmond Bane is day-to-day with an illness. The Magic nearly snapped the run at Golden State, turning a 16-point deficit into a late lead before losing 126-119 in overtime. Franz Wagner leads them at 20.8 points a game.

Sacramento's bright spot is Darius Acuff Jr. The 19-year-old rookie averages 25.9 points and posted 32 points and 10 assists in a 114-108 loss to Miami on 8 November, his sixth straight game with at least 20. Domantas Sabonis, the league's top rebounder at 14.6 a game, missed that one with knee soreness and is day-to-day. Ben Simmons is out for the season with a torn Achilles.

The market still makes Orlando a 68% favorite despite the skid. Is a short-handed Magic side that has lost four in a row really that clear a favorite on the road?