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After the 82-game regular season came to a close, the NBA playoffs arrive with an opening-round matchup between the No. 3 seed Sacramento Kings (48-34) and the No. 6 seed Golden State Warriors (44-38). The battle of Northern California nemeses kicks off on Saturday, April 15 at Golden 1 Center.
Tipoff for Game 1 is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, and over at DraftKings Sportsbook the Warriors come in favored to win the seven-game series at -290. Here we’ll take a look some other series props we think could pay off in this contest.
Kings vs. Warriors series props
Series Exact Games: 6 Games (+180)
The number of people putting respect on the Kings’ name heading into this matchup feels slim, but give credit where it's due. Sacramento boasts one of the most daunting offenses in the league (118.8 offensive rating) and with its youth, this team should be able to snag at least one game from the Warriors.
As is well documented, the defending champs have been dismal on the road in the regular season (11-30) while defending Chase Center at a much better rate (33-8). I like the chances of the Warriors picking up a win on the road, and closing out the series in six games.
Series Correct Score: Warriors 4-2 (+230)
The only Kings with ample postseason experience are Harrison Barnes, Domantas Sabonis, and Kevin Huerter, with Barnes and Huerter having reached the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference finals respectively. Meanwhile, Golden State has reached the NBA Finals in six of the last eight seasons, while its core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green has not lost an opening-round series since 2014 when all of them are available for the duration of the series.
The Kings are building something promising for the future and should give Golden State a run for its money, but the defending champs’ experience should equip them to fend off Sacramento in six games.
Series Spread: Warriors -1.5 games (-165)
If you’re feeling extra bullish on Golden State’s playoff experience, coupled with the addition of Gary Payton II and the return of Andrew Wiggins, then feel free to ride with the defending champs convincingly. Despite all their road troubles, the Warriors did manage to win the regular season series 3-1 over their Northern California neighbor. And although the average margin of victory in three of those games was five points, a win is a win.
The Kings’ best-ranked offense (120.7 PPG) will help them avoid the sweep, but their 25th defensive rating (116.8) leaves them incredibly susceptible to a veteran and savvy Warriors team.