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The Sacramento Kings are headed to the Bay Area on Sunday to take on the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. With that said, it’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Kings-Warriors prediction and pick.
The Warriors are coming off a huge win against the Denver Nuggets as they look to climb up the Western Conference standings to make the playoffs or at least qualify for the play-in tournament. The Kings, on the other hand, have lost eight of their last 10 games en route to a record of 24-35 and the 12th seed in the Western Conference.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Kings-Warriors odds.
NBA Odds: Kings-Warriors Odds
Sacramento Kings +7.5 (-112)
Golden State Warriors -7.5 (-108)
Over 232 Points (-110)
Under 232 Points(-110)
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread
After it seemed like Coach Luke Walton got his team to turn the corner by winning five straight games, the Kings go on to lose eight straight games, including losses to an injured Los Angeles Lakers team, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards.
During this stretch, the Kings’ lone star, De'Aaron Fox, put up three 30-plus point performances against three different teams and a 43-point display against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Kings will be without Fox on Sunday though, so Coach Walton will need to get his starters and players off the bench to step up and make up for all the loss production. Fortunately, they are a solid and balanced offensive team with five other players averaging double-digit points for the season.
The primary issue for the Kings lies on the defensive end of the floor where they currently rank dead last in the league. This will be the key for Sacramento to cover the spread against the Warriors, who are not the best offensive team but have a player in Stephen Curry capable of dropping 30-plus points on any given night.
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread
Similar to the Kings, the Warriors also have a lot of bodies out. Unlike the Sacramento, the team and coach Steve Kerr have been able to adapt. In fact, the different rotations have helped the Warriors win seven of their last 10 games–picking up big wins against the Philadelphia 76ers, Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks.
During the last 10 games for the Warriors, Curry has been absolutely dominant on the offensive end of the floor, averaging 38.5 points while shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 49.0 percent behind the 3-point line. Moreover, Curry has put up four 30-point games, four 40-point games, and one 50-point game during this period.
For the season, Curry is averaging 31.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists, while shooting very efficiently from the floor. However, the impact that he has on this Golden State team goes way beyond his stat lines.
Curry’s ability to make plays for his teammates on the offensive end of the floor combined with how well he can shoot the ball from behind the arc makes him a very tough defensive coverage. With him on the floor, it frees up the rest of the players on the Warriors for an open layup, midrange or 3-point shot.
The key for the Warriors to cover the spread against the Kings on Sunday will be to continue to ride the hot hands of Curry offensively and to play solid team defense to prevent a big game from any players for the Kings.
Final Kings-Warriors Prediction & Pick
The Kings, who are the worse defensive-rated team in the league, are matching up against the Warriors, who are a top 10 offensive team when Curry is on the floor. This does not bode well for a Sacramento team missing its star player Fox. Not to mention that have also been struggling tremendously as of late on the offensive end of the floor.
The Warriors should pick up another critical win on Sunday to further contend for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION & PICK FOR KINGS-WARRIORS: SAC 102, GSW 114 (GSW -7.5)
