In an NBA Play-In Tournament opening matchup that some might call "inevitable," Steph Curry and the Warriors take on De'Aaron Fox and the Kings tonight (10 p.m. ET, TNT). We'll preview this West-coast clash from a betting standpoint, providing you with some key stats and trends and highlighting the best bets and top props for the evening.
This game serves as a rematch, as these two teams battled in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The Kings, a three-seed last year, ultimately fell to the sixth-seeded Warriors in a seven-game tug of war. Curry dropped 50 points in the series-clinching Game 7, his playoff career-high.
The stakes will be just as high tonight as they were in their Game 7 last May. The winner advances to play the loser of the Lakers-Pelicans game. The loser goes home.
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This should be another fantastic game between solid Western Conference competitors, and we can't wait to lock in some bets ahead of the action. Let's get right to the Warriors-Kings odds, and reveal our best bets and top props.
Warriors at Kings NBA Play-In Tournament game: Odds
- Spread: Warriors -2.5 (-105) | Kings +2.5 (-115)
- Moneyline: Warriors -140 | Kings +115
- Total: OVER 223.5 (-110) | UNDER 223.5 (-110)
BetMGM's updated NBA odds list the Warriors as 2.5-point favorites on the road in Sacramento.
Warriors at Kings NBA Play-In Tournament game: Best bets
Just like last year, we have trouble imagining that the battle-tested Warriors will lose to an inexperienced Kings squad. Last season's first-round loss was the Kings' first playoff series since 2006. The Warriors, meanwhile, have won four NBA titles since 2015.
On the surface, these teams look even. Both finished 46-36 in the regular season and split their season series 2-2. However, Sacramento took a huge hit when it lost Sixth Man of the Year favorite Malik Monk to a sprained MCL late last month. The Kings have lost five consecutive games against winning teams since Monk's injury.
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Who turns it on better than Steph in the postseason? Who works harder without the ball? Who out-hustles the Dubs' defense in elimination games? Very few in the history of the sport can hold a candle to Golden State in the Steve Kerr era. The Warriors get to another level at this time of the year.
That's why they have won 10 of their past 12 games, and it's why they'll win this one. Sacramento has dropped five of its past seven, clearly missing the scoring infusion that Monk provided off the bench. As long as the Warriors set the tempo, control the pace, and battle for boards like they have all season, they should be able to advance with relative ease this evening.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Warriors 123, Kings 114 — Golden State wins (-140) and covers the spread (-2.5), with the total sailing OVER (224.5).
Warriors at Kings NBA Play-In Tournament game: Top player prop
Steph Curry points – OVER 28.5 (-110)
This may seem like a tough prop to navigate, as Curry has bested this total just four times over his past 14 games. However, he has hit 28-plus in four of his past seven — and we all know that the best shooter of all time steps it up big-time in the postseason.
Curry has scored 31-plus points in two of his past three playoff games. He averaged 30.5 points per game in the postseason last year, and he put up points totals of 39 and 37 in the Warriors' last two Play-In games back in 2021. This feels like an easy OVER to us.
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