Warriors vs Kings Betting Preview: Butler-Boosted Dubs Value as Road Chalk

Golden State Warriors (28-27 SU, 28-27 ATS) vs. Sacramento Kings (28-27 SU, 21-33 ATS)

When: Friday, February 21st, 10:00 PM (ET)

Where: Golden 1 Center, CA, Sacramento

TV: NBCS

Point Spread: GS -2/Sac +2

Total: 233.5

Money Line: Golden State Warriors -129/+109

Notable Injuries

Warriors

• Jonathan Kuminga (Out) Ankle

Kings

• No Injuries Reported

At 10:00 ET, the Sacramento Kings will host the Golden State Warriors in a Western Pacific Division matchup. The Kings are currently 9th in the Western Conference with a record of 28-27, while the Warriors are 10th in the West with the same record.

Golden State is favored by 2 points in this one, and the over/under line is set at 233.5. NBCS will have the TV coverage for this game, which will be played at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

Recent Form

The Warriors improved to 28-27 on the season with a 105-98 win over the Rockets on Thursday. Golden State, favored by 1.5 points, covered the spread with the victory. The total points for the game were 203, well below the O/U line of 225.5.

Golden State took control early, leading 28-19 after the 1st quarter and extending their lead with a 34-29 2nd quarter. The Rockets made a push in the 4th, going on a 10-0 run to cut the score from 82-66 to 82-76, but the Warriors held on to secure the win.

The Kings fell to 28-27 on the season after a 140-133 road loss to the Pelicans on Thursday. Sacramento, who were favored by 8 points, not only lost the game but also failed to cover the spread. The combined score of 273 points far exceeded the pre-game total of 235.

Sacramento went on a 15-0 run, stretching their lead from 48-43 to 63-43. However, New Orleans responded by outscoring the Kings 38-30 in the 3rd quarter. Sacramento entered the 4th quarter down 98-95 and couldn’t complete the comeback, despite outscoring the Pelicans 32-29 in the final period.

The Historicals

In terms of betting vs the spread, the Warriors have gone 3-2, but the Kings actually have a positive scoring differential. In these meetings, Sacramento has averaged 125 points per contest, while allowing 113. Golden State and Sacramento averaged a combined 238 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 4-1.

Analysis

In their win over the Rockets, the Warriors struggled offensively, shooting just 39.3% from the field and 26.8% from three-point range, hitting only 11 threes. Stephen Curry led the way with 27 points, making 5 threes at 38.5% efficiency.

Jimmy Butler contributed 19 points, and Brandin Podziemski added 18. Curry scored 12 of his points in the 2nd quarter, while Butler and Curry both added 6 points in the 4th.

The Warriors’ defense held the Rockets to 98 points on Thursday, allowing just 19 points in the 1st quarter and 22 in the 3rd. They gave up 29 points in the 2nd and 28 in the 4th but still managed to secure the win.

Golden State limited Houston to 40% shooting from the field, including 33% from beyond the arc, where the Rockets hit 12 threes. The Warriors also sent Houston to the line 18 times, where they made 10 free throws. Defensively, the Warriors recorded 13 steals and 6 blocks.

In their loss to the Pelicans, the Kings put up 133 points, shooting 43.8% from the field. They hit 17 threes at a 36.2% clip, with Zach LaVine knocking down 5 from deep and finishing with a team-high 32 points and 10 assists.

Malik Monk added 24 points, despite shooting just 33.3%, and Domantas Sabonis contributed 22 points and 28 rebounds, shooting 62.5% from the floor. LaVine scored 13 points in the 2nd quarter, while DeMar DeRozan and Sabonis each added 7 points in the 4th.

Defensively, the Kings struggled against the Pelicans, giving up 140 points on 50% shooting. Sacramento allowed 28 points in the 1st quarter, 32 in the 2nd, 38 in the 3rd, and 29 in the 4th.

The Pelicans hit 21 threes at a 42% clip, and the Kings sent them to the line 34 times, where they made 27 free throws. Sacramento finished with 37 defensive rebounds, gave up 7 offensive boards, and recorded 8 steals.

Betting Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Golden State has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 116 points per game.
• In their last five games at home, the Kings have a straight up record of 3-2 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team averaged 119 points per game in this stretch.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Kings have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-4.
• As the betting favorite, the Warriors have an ATS mark of just 6-4 in their last ten games. Golden State posted a straight up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

Before the All-Star Break, the Kings played 3 of their final 4 games vs the Pelicans, going 2-1 vs New Orleans, while also adding in a tight win over the Mavericks. Now, they host the Warriors, who have had some extra time to come up with a game plan for how to best use Jimmy Butler. Each team is going for its 29th win, and I see Golden State coming out on top in this one. I think getting them at -2 is a steal, and I have them covering.