A pair of Northern California-based rivals will renew acquaintances on Wednesday night in the state’s capital as the Golden State Warriors make the short trip to face the Sacramento Kings.
The Warriors’ often inconsistent play in recent months has continued over recent games, as Stephen Curry and co. cannot rediscover the kind of defense and depth that powered an early season surge.
For the Kings, a matchup against Golden State offers a chance to create separation in an ultra-competitive Western Conference against a foe they could see again. It also offers the chance for the Kings to exact a little revenge on a rival that has so frequently dominated.
With a battle in California on the slate this Wednesday in NoCal, check out our Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings predictions, including our NBA expert picks, with tip set for January 22 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Matchup Golden State Warriors vs Sacramento Kings Overview
Teams: Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings
Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Golden 1 Center
Win Probabilities
The prediction tip for the winner in the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings is the Sacramento Kings.
Projected Final Score
Our predicted final score for this NBA matchup is Sacramento Kings 112-103 Golden State Warriors.
Expert Prediction: Who Wins?
In the meeting between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, we get one of the league’s more intense local rivalries and a battle for seeding. At .500, the Warriors are on the outside looking in for the Western Conference’s tight play-in tournament race but are just a couple of games from vaulting up to the sixth seed and out of the play-in altogether.
The Kings, meanwhile, sit a game below .500 and, like the Dubs, are currently out of the play-in picture. But, like Golden State, it would just take a hot week or two for the Kings to suddenly find themselves in the top six in the conference.
Though Golden State and Sacramento find themselves in similar spots in the 2024-25 season, the paths taken to get there contrast considerably. The Warriors started incredibly well, going 12-3 in their first 15 games before a horrible backslide sunk them to .500 in the standings.
Sacramento’s start to the season was disastrous, with four—and six-game losing streaks throughout the first third of the regular season. However, firing former Coach of the Year Mike Brown reversed the Kings’ fortunes. Though they lost the first game under interim head coach Doug Christie, they then reeled off seven straight wins to set up this intriguing matchup with the Warriors.
Why the Golden State Warriors Can Cover
For the Golden State Warriors to get a little revenge after they were crushed by these same Sacramento Kings just a couple of weeks ago, they might need to turn back the clock to their glory years and let it fly from deep.
Though the Kings’ defense has been relatively average in the 2024-25 season, it has a glaring weakness. With few long, athletic defenders to help cover up on defense, the opponents’ three-point shooting has repeatedly exploited them this year. The Kings are 17th in adjusted defensive rating, but their splits against the long ball are significantly worse.
During the season, Sacramento’s opponents are shooting 37.6% from three-point range, slightly below the lowest percentage in the league (the Portland Trail Blazers, at 38.0%). Opponents appear to have scouted this, too, as the Kings give up 38.5 attempts from deep per game—among the 10 most per game in the league.
That weakness leaves the Kings at risk of being exploited by a Warriors team that has, out of character, been poor offensively. Golden State is in the bottom half of the league in adjusted offensive rating and, worryingly, just outside the bottom five in true shooting percentage.
The Warriors, led by Steph Curry, still have a strong three-point shooting identity. They are one of five teams in the league to average more than 40 three-point attempts per game, currently fourth at 41.3. That volume gives them a mathematical advantage, especially in a game like this, in which they’re in a good matchup and could uncover positive variance.
Momentum, both for the Kings and Warriors, is swinging away from Golden State’s favor. A strong shooting night from three-point range, however, could change that.
Why the Sacramento Kings Can Cover
In an 82-game regular season, a matchup between two teams can sometimes be reduced to a look at recent play. That is especially true when a team or both teams have had such glaringly loud form in recent weeks. That’s the case for both of these teams.
Life has been downright great for the Kings since Mike Brown was fired. In the 10 games since Doug Christie took over as interim head coach, the Kings are 8-2, including a dominant 129-99 win over these same Warriors.
Over that span, they have the fifth-best offensive rating and a top 10 defensive rating after spending most of the year in the bottom 10 in the league. Such an impressive stretch has seen Sacramento outscore foes by 7.8 points per game, a mark bested by only three teams. In the last 10 games, they have performed like one of the league’s best teams.
However, it has been far from positive on the Warriors’ end. Since a 12-3 start, Golden State is 9-17 and has had the fifth-worst offensive rating with a bottom 10 defense. A net rating over that span of -5.1 is better than just six teams. The Warriors’ struggles cannot be stressed enough.
If the Kings maintain their current momentum and prevent Golden State from having a successful shooting night, they should secure a victory against their bitter rival.
How to Make Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings Picks
Ready to make picks on the Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings matchup on Wednesday, January 22? Make sure to head over to Sportzino, where you can find every NBA game on the slate this weekend and so much more!
