Golden State Warriors (10 vs. Sacramento Kings (9) Play-In Prediction, NBA Odds

Edgar Chaput | Updated Apr 16, 2024

NBA: Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors

Regional rivals the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings get down to business Tuesday night in their Western Conference play-in game.

Golden State
46-36
AT
April 16, 2024, 10:00 PM ET
Golden 1 Center
Sacramento
46-36
Pointspread -2.5 -110
Moneyline -150
Over / Under o +222.5
Pointspread +2.5 -110
Moneyline +125
Over / Under u +222.5

Last year’s first-round opponents butt heads once again with all the marbles to play for, only this time it’s at an earlier stage of the postseason. The Golden State Warriors have fought tooth and nail to reach the play-in in a season filled with ups and downs, much like last year. The Sacramento Kings have had a good campaign but did not necessarily improve on last year’s success. With the Western Conference as ferociously competitive as it is, their efforts are rewarded with no better than a play-in spot.

The NBA odds favour the Warriors, pinning them as -2.5 favourites for this match.

Warriors (10) vs. Kings (9) NBA Betting Odds

It’s a shame that this year all fans will get to enjoy is a single play-in game. Last year Golden State and Sacramento fared in a first-round playoff bout that lasted the full seven games, with no shortage of twists and turns along the way. The Warriors eventually won in Game 7.

That fierce competitiveness bled into this season’s contests. The clubs split the four meetings, with the Warriors winning the first two and the Kings the latter two. Each team won once at home and once on the road. The cherry on top is that three of the four matches were decided by a single point. There’s something about Warriors-Kings games that brings out the best in their players.

Steve Kerr’s men have had a decent if unspectacular campaign against the spread, posting a 42-38-2 record. What might be of interest for this matchup is that they were a slightly better road team than a home side – a road warrior, if you will. Golden State finished 25-16 on their travels compared to 21-20 in front of its fans. Gary Payton II is out (calf)

Mike Brown’s ensemble wasn’t any better in dealing with spreads this season, finishing 41-39-2. They’re starting their postseason journey stumbling about, having lost five of their last seven games. Something to consider is that neither Malik Monk (MCL) nor Kevin Huerter (shoulder) are available. Monk is out for the remainder of the season for that matter.

Golden State Warriors (10)

It’s too early to count this group out. They struggled at times this season, even flirting with sub-.500 basketball, but ultimately pulled through to finish a solid 10 games above that mark.

Klay Thompson looks a heck of a lot better these days than at the start of the campaign. Stephen Curry continues to amaze, finishing as the ninth-leading scorer (26.4 points per game). The Warriors as a team were eighth, netting 117.8 on average. The next generation of Golden State stars deserves praise for their play this year, such as Jonathan Kuminga, Brandon Podziemski, and Trayce Jackson-Davis. Chris Paul has morphed into a mighty fine backup point guard. The big question, one that’s getting very fatiguing, is what version of Draymond Green will show up? The savvy vet who can come up big or the one that will get ejected in the first quarter?

Sacramento Kings (9)

The late-season faltering surely has something to do with the absence of Sixth Man of the Year hopeful Monk and shooter Huerter. This team was in prime position to avoid the play in, yet tripped at nearly hurdle down the stretch.

Even so, their attack is nearly as good as Golden State’s overall, as they finished just behind in ninth with 116.6 points a night. It’s very easy to be allured by De’Aaron Fox’s exciting play and numbers, but it feels like this team will go as far as Domantas Sabonis will take them. Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes will have to be on fire, and now is the time for rookie guard Keon Ellis to make a name for himself.

NBA Play-In Prediction: Who Will Win Warriors vs. Kings?

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