In what is quickly blossoming into one of the more entertaining rivalries in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors enter a hostile environment as they take on the Sacramento Kings with the series tied 2-2. Let's take an inclusive look at our NBA Playoffs odds series where our Warriors-Kings prediction and pick will be revealed.
After falling behind 2-0 in this high-scoring best-of-seven series, it was Golden State that proved that they won't go down without a fight by reeling off back-to-back wins in the Bay Area. Now with the pivotal Game 5 scheduled for Wednesday, the Warriors' championship grit will certainly be on display.
Just when it looked like the Kings were favored to down the defending champs, Sacramento could not get the job done in San Francisco as it was Harrison Barnes that missed a last-second three-pointer in the Kings' come-from-behind bid in Game 4. Nevertheless, the Kings happen to boast one of the top home-court advantages in all of the NBA, so expect the Golden 1 Center to be at a feverish pitch come Wednesday night.
Here are the Warriors-Kings NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Playoffs Odds: Warriors-Kings Odds
Golden State Warriors: -4 (-110)
Sacramento Kings: +4 (-110)
Over: 235.5 (-110)
Under: 235.5 (-110)
How To Watch Warriors vs. Kings
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT App
Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread
It was only a matter of time before the Golden State Warriors turned on the after-burners and left the Kings gasping for air with a barrage of three-point shooting. After avoiding an epic meltdown that saw Steph Curry call a timeout when Golden State didn't have one that eventually resulted in a technical foul in crunch time, the Warriors put the clamps on defensively when it mattered most. Not to mention, the Warriors shot 41% from deep including an extremely lethal 50% from the field overall. For many years now, Golden State is as feared as they come from beyond the arc, and they will need to hit from all cylinders from deep to cover the spread.
Of course, it is well known by now that Golden State's Achilles heel is the fact that they have been unable to win road games consistently, as they posted as their horrendous 11-30 record was among the worst visiting marks in all of basketball. Obviously, this is the most concerning aspect when wagering on the Warriors to cover, as they have not shown that they are trustworthy on the road thus far.
Regardless, Golden State's main priority in this pivotal Game 5 needs to be to make it an effort to play clean basketball and not to be sloppy. Oftentimes, the Warriors are at their worst whenever they are being careless with the basketball leading to back-breaking turnovers. Above all else, the Warriors will hit enough shots to win this game, but turning the ball over too much will end up being their downfall. In addition, whenever the Warriors have scored at least 118 points this season, they have posted a 29-17 record ATS.
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread
Things went from bad to worse after the conclusion of Game 4 when Sacramento discovered that star point guard De'Aaron Fox fractured a finger in his shooting hand. Currently, Fox is considered as doubtful, but has yet to be ruled out. Without a doubt, Fox is the heartbeat of this team and other playmakers will need to step up in order to combat the defending champs.
If it turns out that Fox can't give it a go on Wednesday, then Sacramento will need to make sure they don't settle for jump shots and instead be aggressive in driving to the rack to ensure a layup opportunity or at least a trip to the free-throw line. In Game 4, the Kings managed to get to the charity stripe 18 times, and more opportunities for a 79% free-throw shooting team during the season need to be an all-time high.
Not to mention, but the more than likely shorthanded Kings will have to get shooting guard Kevin Huerter more involved from the get-go. After only logging 20 minutes of action and going 1-4 from the floor with a measly two points in the box score, there is no question that the Kings' three-point marksman needs to be more aggressive offensively. A 40% from beyond the arc during the regular season, Huerter could end up being the X-factor in Sacramento's quest in covering the spread.
Final Warriors-Kings Prediction & Pick
On paper, the Kings' chances of covering the spread and even winning Game 5 will drastically take a hit if Fox can't suit up for play, as the inaugural winner of the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year Award is averaging 31.5 points per game during this postseason. With that amount of production projected to not be available for Sacramento, a full-strength Warriors squad should have their way on both ends of the floor despite their road troubles.
Final Warriors-Kings Prediction & Pick: Warriors -4 (-110)
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