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The Sacramento Kings take on the Golden State Warriors. Check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Kings-Warriors prediction and pick.
The Golden State Warriors are dealing with the fallout from the Draymond Green punch of Jordan Poole in a preseason practice. We can say all we want about the Warriors' championship identity and winning habits, but that kind of event is going to linger throughout the season, and it's hardly a sure thing that the Dubs are going to stay on course for a repeat title. That was an extraordinary event. It's not the same as any previous event involving Draymond. This is a new story, and it's unclear how it will end.
Maybe Poole will be able to take instruction from Draymond when the older veteran sees something Poole could be doing on the floor. Maybe the cohesion built by Steph and coach Steve Kerr will remain intact … but we don't know for sure. The fabric of a championship team hasn't yet been torn, but it has been stretched.
The Warriors fell to the Denver Nuggets at home on Friday. Nikola Jokic was a problem with a typical triple-double. Kevon Looney and Poole didn't contribute much in the loss. Looney had one rebound in 19 minutes. Poole scored just seven points and was a minus-20. Those two players need to provide a lot more here against the Kings in this Sunday evening contest.
The Kings are 0-2, having lost home games to the Trail Blazers and Clippers, the latter game coming late Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings have allowed 111 or more points in each of their first two games. They scored at least 108 in both games but have nothing to show for it because of their longstanding problems at the defensive end of the floor. The Warriors naturally provide a very big test for Sacramento's defense. The Kings simply have to figure out solutions there and get to a point where 108 points are enough to win a game. No NBA team can bank on scoring 120 every night. Teams have to be able to win with 110, 108, and 105.
Elite defensive teams can win games in the 90s or very low 100s. No one would confuse Sacramento with an elite team, but the Kings do have to be able to make 108 points stand up and become enough to win on a reasonable percentage of game nights in the NBA.
One other note: Not having Tyrese Haliburton certainly looks like the mistake many people in the NBA thought the Kings made when they allowed him to go to the Pacers in one of the past year's more notable trades.
Here are the Kings-Warriors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Kings-Warriors Odds
Sacramento Kings: +10 (-110)
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Golden State Warriors: -10 (-110)
Over: 231.5 (-110)
Under: 231.5 (-110)
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread
The spread is a fat 10 points, and the Warriors are not in prime form, having lost to the Nuggets. Jordan Poole scoring only seven points against the Nuggets doesn't mean he is somehow overrated (he isn't), but it does mean that he and the Dubs are going to go through some rocky periods this season. Poole is a rising star, but he is not a fully finished product. The Kings are not having problems scoring, so if just one or two core members of the Warriors do not fill it up from 3-point range, Sacramento can keep this game close and cover.
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread
The Warriors have scored over 120 points in each of their first two games. They should be able to score at least 115 against the Kings if not more. Golden State had Saturday off while the Kings played a late-night game against the Clippers which went down to the wire and required maximum energy and intensity for all 48 minutes. Golden State is coming off a loss. Jordan Poole is coming off a bad game and is likely to be much, much better in this contest. The Warriors have not yet played a road game this season; they have been able to stay in San Francisco for each of their first three games. They should be fresh and rested and ready to play well.
Final Kings-Warriors Prediction & Pick
The Warriors' rest, combined with the Kings' late Saturday game, Jordan Poole's likely improvement against Sacramento's defense, and the Dubs' anger after losing to Denver should all combine to create a comfortable victory for the defending NBA champions.
Final Kings-Warriors Prediction & Pick: Warriors -10
