We’ve got a West Coast battle on our hands Friday night. The Sacramento Kings will make the trip to San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors in a matchup that carries weight on and off the court.
Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET. Golden State enters as a 14.5-point home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Sacramento is listed as a +525 underdog. The game’s total is set at 230.5 points. Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this matchup.
Kings vs. Warriors Preview
The off-court drama has to be addressed first. Per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, Jonathan Kuminga’s lone suitor in trade talks has been the Sacramento Kings. As the Sacramento roster experiment rapidly collapses, they’re looking to get younger and more athletic, and Kuminga fits the bill. It is abundantly clear that the relationship between Kuminga and Golden State has deteriorated beyond repair; he has not played since Dec. 18, with a myriad of phantom “injuries” disguising the painfully obvious fact that he will be traded. In six days’ time, Kuminga may find himself heading to Sacramento.
Before that, these two teams have a game. Sacramento’s offense ranks last in in points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass. The Warriors have not fared much better, coming in at 20th. The true gap between these teams is in the defense: Sacramento sits 28th in the league, while Golden State is eighth. A healthy top-10 defensive unit facing the worst offense in the league is why you have such a huge spread in this game.
But it is important to remember how the Warriors have failed to put away games this season and the vets have grown tired. Golden State has only six wins by 15+ points this season, as it consistently fails to blow out inferior opponents. It habitually lets teams hang around. Will that be the case tonight, or will the Warriors be able to convincingly put away the struggling Kings?
Kings vs. Warriors Pick, Best Bet
I have very little confidence that the Warriors can win this game in the fashion they should. Their penchant for massive scoring droughts lets other teams cut into their leads. It should end in a Warriors victory, but a nervous one.
