Warriors vs Kings game 2 odds and predictions: Who is the favorite?

The Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings will play Game 2 of the first round of playoffs on Monday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento at 10 p.m. ET. The Kings lead the series 1-0 after a thrilling 126-123 win over the Warriors in Game 1. It was the Kings’ first post season win in 17 years. It was the Warriors’ first Game 1 loss in the first two rounds of playoffs in the Steve Kerr era.

Warriors vs Kings: How to watch game 2

Six years after being selected No. 5 overall in the NBA Draft, De’Aaron Fox made his post season debut, leading the Kings in Game 1 with 38 points, shooting four-of-eight from the three - a franchise record. He and Malik Monk combined for a total of 70 points and six of the Kings’ 12 threes.

“He’s got to be a two-way player,” said Kings head coach Mike Brown of Fox. “If he expects at all, at any time, to win a championship, he’s got to do it at a high level. He was really good tonight, but he’s gonna have to be, not only a lead for us offensively, but a lead defensively.”

Meanwhile, for the Warriors, Stephen Curry scored 30 and Andrew Wiggins - back for the first time in two months - scored 17. It was a back-and-forth battle in the fourth quarter, with any team able to come away with the win. In the end, Wiggins and Curry both missed shots to fall by three and give the Kings the 1-0 series lead.

Did Curry blame Wiggins for Warrior loss?

Warriors vs Kings: Game 2 predictions

The Warriors will definitely be playing to win on Monday to try and even up the series on the road before heading home for Game 3. Then again, the Kings have proven they can dominate. They led the regular series 3-1 and have kept that momentum going into the post season so far. They’re out to prove they belong in the playoffs as one of the top teams in the NBA. In Game 1, they played creative on defense to try and shut Curry and Thompson down, which somewhat worked. Curry still put up 30, but Thompson missed 11 of 19 attempts. Expect more of that defensive strategy in Game 2.

We can expect another high-scoring, offensive shootout in tonight’s game as both teams look to make deep playoff runs. The Warriors have been treacherous on the road this season at 11-31. In the playoffs, however, they have won road games in all 24 of their series. Despite the Game 1 loss, the Warriors are one-point favorites heading into Game 2.

The Kings were able to outscore the Warriors in Game 1. The offense is not their problem, but their defense hasn’t been quite as reliable. In Game 1, the Kings had 17 offensive rebounds which led to 21 second-chance points. The Warriors are well-aware of that fact and will adjust for the next game.

“We just got to hit back. Better yet, hit first,” said Warriors guard Gary Payton II. “Just make sure when the shot goes up, we find guys who’s crashing, and we just make it an emphasis.”

The Warriors will be missing Jordan Poole, which could hurt them a bit, but they are a championship team and experience is on their side. With Curry and Thompson in the game plus Wiggins getting his groove back after being out, the Warriors will be tough to defend against throughout this series. Expect the Warriors to bounce back in Game 2.