Golden State Warriors (47-41) vs. Sacramento Kings (51-37)
April 30, 2023 3:30 pm EDT
The Line: Sacramento Kings -1.5; Over/Under: +230.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings duke it out in a dramatic Game 7 at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Golden State Warriors were just one win away from advancing to the second round, but they are now playing to keep their season alive after losing by 118-99 in Game 6 to the Kings on Friday. Stephen Curry led the team with 29 points and five assists, Klay Thompson added 22 points on eight of 20 shooting while Andrew Wiggins chipped in with 13 points, but no other player finished in double figures in scoring. As a team, the Warriors shot just 37 percent from the field and 10 of 32 from the 3-point line as they struggled to match the desperation of the Kings early on and were always fighting an uphill battle after allowing 35 points in the second quarter. Jordan Poole had a night to forget as he finished with just seven points on two of 11 shooting in the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings needed to come out swinging to keep their season alive and they did just that as they took down the Warriors on Friday to force a series decider. Malik Monk led the team in scoring with 28 points, seven rebounds and four assists off the bench, De’Aaron Fox added 26 points with 11 assists on 10 of 18 shooting while Keegan Murray chipped in with 15 points and 12 rebounds. As a team, the Kings shot just 40 percent from the field and 17 of 45 from the 3-point line as they poured in 35 points in the second quarter to take the lead into halftime, before they held the Warriors to just 19 points in the fourth quarter to make it a complete blowout. Domantas Sabonis had a quiet game of just seven points on three of 12 shooting in 23 minutes of action.
Looking at the betting trends, the Warriors are 16-36-1 ATS in their last 53 road games, 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a loss and 2-6 ATS in their last eight Conference Quarterfinals games. The Kings are 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games and 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games against a team with a losing road record.
Head to head, the under is 13-6-1 in the last 20 meetings in Sacramento and the Warriors are 7-17 ATS in the last 24 meetings overall.
The Warriors must have overlooked the Kings on Friday because they just didn’t come out and match the Kings’ desperation and now they’re facing a must-win game on the road. Yes, the Warriors hold the edge in playoff experience, but they’ve been a poor road team all season and it might just cost them in this one. I’m tempted to take the Kings who looked dominant in Game 6, but with what is at stake, I’m more comfortable leaning towards the Warriors to advance thanks to a big game from Curry.
