Golden State Warriors vs Sacramento Kings Point Spread Picks

Golden State is destined for the play-in tournament as it comes off a loss against the Lakers last night. However, the Warriors expect to get three players back who didn't play on Thursday, as Stephen Curry, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis are all available. The Warriors beat the Kings 110-105 on Tuesday to snap a four-game slide. Golden State needs to get into some rhythm heading into the play-in tournament after dealing with several injuries the past few weeks. Sacramento has lost six of eight and is looking forward to a high lottery pick. The Kings are #28 in points per game allowed (121.1) and #30 allowing a .495 field goal percentage. Lay the points with the Warriors.

Sacramento's offseason was about cost efficiency and role players. Let's grade their moves as a bust: the offense is 29th in scoring, 23rd in shooting, 24th from 3-point land, and 28th at the free-throw line (75.8%). The Kings have lost six in a row, averaging 99.1 points. That's almost 11 points below their season-average. Fourth-leading scorer forward Keegan Murray (14.6 ppg) is out for a while after injuring an ankle on Saturday. Sacramento is on a 17-8 run UNDER the total. Golden State is 20th in points scored, but is playing well behind a defense that is eighth in points allowed (113.6 per game) and fifth in defending from beyond the arc. Play Sacramento/Golden State UNDER the total. 

No Stephen Curry for the Warriors today because of a cold, and Jimmy Butler is questionable with lower back soreness. However, the trade-off is that Golden State gets points against the struggling 2-5 Kings. Golden State raised its record to 5-2, beating the Suns, 118-107, on Tuesday night. The Warriors have the depth to withstand missing Curry and possibly Butler while playing without rest, considering this is not a good spot for Sacramento either. First off, this is just a short road trip for Golden State. Second, the Kings also could be without their two best players, as Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis are both questionable due to injuries. Third, this is not the best of situations for the Kings. They just finished a four-game road trip with a 130-124 loss to Denver on Monday night. Sacramento is 0-2 ATS at home with a one-point victory against Utah and a seven-point loss to the Lakers, in which LA was missing both LeBron James and Luka Doncic. The Kings have a massive void at the point guard position. They are trying to man the position with 36-year-old Russell Westbrook and 32-year-old Dennis Schroder. Take the Warriors. 

Jimmy Butler has given Golden State an elite player and much needed third scorer. It has also seemed to clean up the culture that was becoming negative in the locker room. The Warriors are one of the hottest teams in the NBA now as they have gone 12-2 in their last 14 games and look like a bonafide contender as eight of the wins have come by double-digits. The Warriors have played UNDER in three of their past five and are in the midst of a seven-game homestand, which has driven up the price on these totals. Sacramento has lost two straight games and three of its past four. This is their ninth straight game in a different arena, and it's a tough situation vs. such a hot team. Sacramento has posted a 5-3 UNDER record in the last two weeks, averaging a total of 224 points in those eight games (4-1 UNDER on the road). Take advantage of this inflated total. Bet the Kings/Warriors UNDER.