It will be a battle between Pacific Division opponents when the Golden State Warriors (5-22) welcome the Sacramento Kings (11-14) to the Chase Center. The game starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 15, 2019, and will air on NBC Sports – California.
Sacramento is a 3-point favorite on the opening line, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 210.5 points.
Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors Free Prediction
In the Kings’ last outing, they were 8.5-point favorites and were defeated by the New York Knicks, 103-101. The total points for the game (204) were under the O/U total of 210.5. New York’s 7.4 turnover percentage was their largest advantage over Sacramento, who had a rate of 13.1. The Knicks’ mark was better than their season average of 12.9. Buddy Hield was the top scorer from either team with 34 points on 14-for-23 shooting.
The Warriors lost to the Utah Jazz in their last outing, 114-106, but did cover as 14-point underdogs. The total points for the game (220) finished over the O/U total of 211.5. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Utah’s biggest strengths. They made 31 trips to the line, while Golden State went 22 times. With 12 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, Golden State’s Marquese Chriss had a good performance.
Getting to the line might be few and far between for Sacramento in this battle. The Kings rank 29th in the league with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.164, while Golden State ranks eighth in FTA rate allowed (0.180).
Sacramento heads into the contest with records of 11-14 straight up (SU) and 15-10 against the spread (ATS). Games including the Kings have a tendency to finish under the O/U total (64.0 percent).
Meanwhile, Golden State owns records of 5-22 SU and 12-15 ATS. Much like Sacramento, just over half of Warriors games have finished under the total.
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Hield (24 points,5.8 rebounds,4.2 assists) has been stellar for the Kings while Alec Burks (16 points,3.6 assists,1.6 steals) has contributed greatly to the Warriors.
After the Warriors won all four contests against the Kings last season, these teams will go head-to-head for the first time this year. In the last matchup, Golden State won 125-123. Golden State’s 0.559 effective field goal percentage was its largest strength over Sacramento, who had a rate of 0.485.
Kings vs. Warriors Betting Pick
Free NBA Tip: ATS Winner – Warriors, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
Sacramento ranks 12th in assists allowed per game (23.6) while Golden State ranks 26th (25.7).
Golden State is 25th in the league with 44.2 points in the paint per game while Sacramento is 29th with 41.4 points in the paint per game.
The Kings average 4.5 blocks per game, which ranks 21st in the NBA. The Warriors rank 23rd in blocks allowed per game (5.6).
Golden State is 4-7 ATS at home, while Sacramento is 10-4 ATS on the road.
In its last five outings, Sacramento is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Golden State is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over its last five games.
The Kings have outscored opponents by an average of 0.6 points in their last five games. For the season, Sacramento has been defeated by an average of 3.0 points.
During their last five games, the Warriors have scored an average of 104.2 points per game (1.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 110.4 points per game (3.8 below their season average).
