The Golden State Warriors (21-21) and Sacramento Kings (22-20) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 10:00 p.m. EST at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. The game will broadcast live on ESPN.
The Kings are 7-point favorites over the Warriors on the spread (Kings -7), with the over/under set at 230 total points. Sacramento is a -285 favorite to win outright, while Golden State is +230 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Warriors vs. Kings predictions and NBA picks for Wednesday, January 22.
Warriors vs. Kings Picks, Prediction
Spread
Under normal circumstances, this would be a good spot to back Golden State off a 40-point loss to the Celtics last Monday. However, key injuries to Jonathan Kuminga (16.8 PPG), Draymond Green (8.4 PPG), Brandin Podziemski (8.0 PPG) and Kyle Anderson (5.4 PPG) will only further make things more challenging for the Warriors to cover the 7-point spread as underdogs.
Moneyline
I project the Kings to win this game but would prefer to target their -290 moneyline as part of a same-game parlay.
Over/Under
I have a slight bias toward the under at 230 points. The lengthy injury list could be particularly problematic for the Warriors' ability to score points.
My Pick: Kings -7 (-110) at DraftKings
Warriors vs. Kings Odds
| Warriors Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -110 | 230 -110o / -110u | +230 |
| Kings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -110 | 230 -110o / -110u | -285 |
- Warriors vs. Kings spread: Kings -7
- Warriors vs. Kings over/under: 230 total points
- Warriors vs. Kings moneyline: Kings -285, Warriors +230
- Warriors vs. Kings best bet: Kings -7 (-110)
My Kings vs. Warriors best bet is on Sacramento to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Warriors vs. Kings Preview
There's clearly a difference of opinion on this matchup. One sportsbook adjusted the Kings up from -7.5 to -8, only for FanDuel to move their number down to -7.
Although I fully understand the logic behind backing the Warriors in this spot, we must realize that this team isn't nearly as good as the ones that won four championships dating back to the 2014-15 season.
Frankly, the Warriors have been so dominant that it almost feels like they won even more titles because they appeared in six NBA Finals over eight years.
Unfortunately, the Warriors are struggling to find the right balance between their veterans and younger players to compete in the current NBA landscape. Given their .500 record (21-21), the Warriors aren't exactly terrible; we're just more conditioned to judge them based on the high bar they set due to their success.
As things stand, Golden State ranks 11th in the Western Conference and wouldn't even be in a playoff play-in game if the season ended today.
My biggest issue with the Warriors is that they are too reliant on Stephen Curry. At 36, he isn't putting up the same numbers he did in his younger days. Andrew Wiggins, seven years younger at 29, should be the player helping Curry shoulder the load.
However, Wiggins is tied with fourth-year player Jonathan Kuminga as the Warriors' second-leading scorer (16.8 PPG). Moreover, a closer look at their Player Efficiency Rating would suggest that Kuminga (16.7) might have already eclipsed Wiggins (16.6) as the Warriors' second-best player.
The problem for the Warriors is that Kuminga is currently sidelined with an ankle injury.
Anytime you get beat by 40 points, it's increasingly likely that none of the players on the losing team played particularly well. However, Curry still managed to register 18 points, while Wiggins had the second-fewest points among the Warriors' starters, finishing with just four on 1-of-11 shooting.
Golden State's starting lineup also included a second-year player, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Gary Payton II, who has a career average of 5.1 points, and a journeyman point guard, Dennis Schroder, who is on his ninth team in 12 years.
One bright spot for the Warriors has been their defense, which ranks 10th in efficiency (111.5). However, Green's absence certainly makes them worse defensively, as evidenced by the 125 points they surrendered to the Celtics.
The Kings have the seventh-best offense and are 6-1 run against the spread in their last seven games when facing a top-10 defense.
Thus, as much as I'd like to believe in the Warriors' ability to rebound from such a disappointing loss, I can't trust this current crop of players to do the job.
Warriors vs. Kings Prediction
Should the Warriors surprise me with a valiant effort, I'll exercise some caution by backing the Kings to win on the moneyline as part of a Bet365 three-leg same-game parlay. I'll now add a De'Aaron Fox's 3-point field goal prop over 1.5 as part of my second leg.
Fox is coming off a 0-for-5 performance from long range against the Wizards his last time out. However, he's made at least two 3-pointers in 10 of his previous 13 (77%) games and 17 of the 23 (74%) games he played at home this season.
Moreover, he is a perfect 3-0 to the over this season in games where he failed to register a 3-pointer in his previous outing. Look for the Kings' point guard to get back on track on Wednesday night.
Lastly, I'll back Kings power forward Trey Lyles to exceed his rebounding prop of 4.5. Lyles has surpassed this number in eight of his last nine games, including a 5-0 run at home. The Kentucky product also exceeded this projection in his previous two home games against the Warriors and three of the last four meetings in this series.
He recently logged nine rebounds in Sacramento's 129-99 victory over Golden State on Jan. 5. With Green set to miss yet another game for the Warriors, I'll gladly take a shot with Lyles to go over his prop of 4.5 rebounds.
Best Bet: Kings -7
Same Game Parlay Picks
- Kings ML (-285)
- De'Aaron Fox Over 1.5 Three-Pointers Made (-190)
- Trey Lyles Over 4.5 Rebounds (-120)
Parlay Payout: +250
Kings vs. Warriors Betting Trends
