Warriors vs. Kings Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has tried to model his franchise after the Warriors, which is no shock considering he served as the vice chairman of Golden State before buying the Kings in 2013. Ranadive has made one mistake after another, for the most part, but might have the team on the right track finally.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Golden State was light years better than the Kings a season ago but seemed to take Sacramento lightly in splitting the four meetings. The Kings are one of the NBA’s most improved teams this season; they are 0-2 vs. the Warriors but both were very competitive. Sacramento should have won at home vs. Golden State on Nov. 20 but blew a 10-point lead with just over four minutes remaining. However, the Dubs finished on a 16-2 run to win 130-125. They have won the past three in California’s capital city.
Second-year point guard De’Aaron Fox is making a case as the best player from the 2017 draft – at least right now, which would have been laughable last season. All of Fox’s numbers are way up and the lightning-fast 21-year-old leads one of the most up-tempo offences in the NBA. Fox is one of just three players in the league with averages of 18.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.65 steals per game this season.
The Warriors are 2-5 ATS in the past seven meetings.
Golden State Warriors
Golden State lost for the third time in five games Thursday as the Warriors were “James Hardened” in a 135-134 overtime defeat vs. Houston in maybe the game of the season. The Warriors blew a 20-point lead, which used to be unheard of but this year’s team simply isn’t right yet. The scorching-hot Harden hit a three-pointer late in regulation and then a ridiculous one with 2.7 seconds left in OT for the win. He had 44 points, his fifth straight 40-point performance.
Kevin Durant missed a long 3-pointer at the OT buzzer. He finished with 26 points, while Steph Curry had 35 and Klay Thompson 26. The Warriors are nearly invincible when those three all reach at least 20 points, but Harden is on a different planet right now. Golden State is 3-8 ATS in its past 11 after a loss.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings haven’t been below .500 since they were 2-3 but would fall under with a loss here as they enter on a three-game losing streak. Sacramento was a 117-113 home loser to a good Denver side on Thursday. The Kings couldn’t stop Jamal Murray, who had 17 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter. Sacramento was up 15 early in the third, but it was destroyed on the boards all night.
Not having good-looking rookie forward Marvin Bagley III again due to a left knee injury didn’t help in that regard. Buddy Hield led with 29 points, while Fox had 16 points and eight assists. The Kings are 0-5 ATS in their past five vs. the West.
