The Golden State Warriors will visit Golden 1 Center for a Play-In elimination game against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, but it will hardly be a back against the wall type of occasion for the Western Conference's tenth-seed.
Despite concluding their regular season with a win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday, the Warriors were kept in tenth after the Kings and Los Angeles Lakers each recorded dominant victories. It sets up a tantalizing matchup between Golden State and Sacramento, with the teams having developed a rivalry of sorts over the last 18 months.
Despite heading on the road, the Golden State Warriors will enter Sacramento as favorites for Tuesday's Play-In game
The Warriors are ever so slight favorites according to FanDuel Sportsbook, with the spread set at 1.5 for the battle that will tip-off at 7PM PT. Perhaps it's unusual for the tenth-seed to be favorite, particularly in a hostile environment that's sure to await at Golden 1 Center, but there's a few very real reasons why Golden State are expected to come out on top.
1. Recent form
The two teams will enter in contrasting form, with the Warriors having been far more impressive over the closing weeks of the regular season. The hosts finished 10-2 across their last 12 games, while the Kings were 4-7 over the final 11 including 2-5 in their last seven.
Sacramento's only wins in the seven-game stretch came against the lowly Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers. After ranking first last season, the Kings' offense has particularly struggled recently in ranking 17th over the last seven games.
Even from a more long-term outlook, Golden State finished the season 26-12 over their last 38 games compared to Sacramento's 20-18 record.
2. Health
Part of the Kings' recent struggles have emanated due to health concerns, with key rotation players Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk each suffering season-ending injuries. Aside from a calf issue for Gary Payton II, the Warriors are expected to be at full strength having rested Stephen Curry and Draymond Green from Sunday's win over the Jazz.
3. History
Few will forget the teams' first-round playoff series less than 12 months ago, with Stephen Curry's 50 points, eight rebounds and six assists helping Golden State to a thrilling Game 7 win in Sacramento. They may have split the season series 2-2 this year, but perhaps Curry's brilliance at the same venue last year could have a lasting impact on both teams' confidence this time around.