Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings Odds, Preview, Prediction
Warriors vs. Kings Odds
| Warriors Odds | -3 |
| Kings Odds | +3 |
| Over/Under | 233 |
| Date | Sunday, Oct. 24 |
| Time | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
On Sunday evening, the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings will battle at the Golden 1 Center. After years of championship appearances as the most dominant team in the NBA, the departure of Kevin Durant and the absence of Klay Thompson have kept Golden State from making a deep postseason run each of the last two seasons. However, Steph Curry and the Warriors are off to a strong 2-0 start this year. Sacramento is rarely in the mix for a postseason spot, but an opening night win and a hard-fought loss against the dominant Utah Jazz have earned them some market respect in the early portion of the campaign. Oddsmakers anticipate a tightly-contested affair between these two teams tonight, pricing Golden State as three-point home favorites on the spread.
Let’s take a closer look at the matchup between the two teams and see where NBA bettors can find value at sportsbooks for this late game in Los Angeles.
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry was outstanding a season ago, leading the league in scoring with 32.0 points per game, in addition to securing 5.5 rebounds and dishing out 5.8 assists per night. He has been equally dynamic through two games this season with averages of 33.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. Lacking a bonafide second scoring option on offense, Golden State has seen healthy contributions from Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Damion Lee, and Nemanja Bjelica, who are all averaging better than 10.0 points per contest.
Defensively, the Warriors are still well-coached, but they have put up mediocre numbers this week against two strong offensive teams. Having played the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State ranks 13th in defensive efficiency, allowing 105.1 points per 100 possessions. It could be a struggle for this group to slow down a dynamic Sacramento offense on Sunday evening.
Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is far from an elite roster, but they do have experienced players, who are capable of keeping the Kings competitive on most nights. Harrison Barnes has enjoyed an excellent start to the new season, averaging 30.5 points and 12.0 rebounds through two games. Buddy Hield has chipped in 20.5 points per game off of the bench. De’Aaron Fox does not have great early season numbers with 19.5 points and 6.5 assists per game, but he is likely to improve upon those averages in the coming weeks. Richaun Holmes continues to be one of the most underrated big-men in the league and is averaging a double-double entering play on Sunday.
The defensive side of the ball has been the primary reason that the Kings have not been able to assert themselves as legitimate postseason contenders in recent years, despite a roster with plenty of offensive talent. In two games to start this season, this group ranks 19th in defensive efficiency. Last year, Sacramento ranked dead-last in defensive efficiency, allowing 116.5 points per 100 possessions. The Kings could have trouble stopping Curry and the rest of the Warriors’ perimeter shooters tonight, considering that this unit ranked 26th in defending the arc a season ago.
Warriors vs. Kings Pick: Over or Under 233 Points?
Golden State played at one of the fastest paces in the NBA during the 2020-2021 campaign. Through two games this season, they have played at the second-fastest pace in the league, despite playing two opponents that prefer to slow things down. Sacramento has played at the ninth fastest pace in the league through their first two games. The Warriors should have little trouble getting the Kings to engage in a fast-paced, up-tempo affair in this one. Take the over.
PICKS: Over 233 (-110)
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