Golden State Warriors vs Sacramento Kings Western Conference play-in tournament odds: Who is more likely to score a playoff spot?

The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors are slated for a ninth vs. 10th-place Western Conference play-in tournament clash on Tuesday. The teams finished with the same record (46-36) and split their season series 2-2. Nonetheless, Golden State is slightly favored to eliminate Sacramento and advance to a second play-in game.

Per Bet365, the Warriors are -135 favorites, while the Kings are +115 underdogs. Meanwhile, the spread is set at -2.0 for Golden State and +2.0 for Sacramento.

The Kings, guided by stars De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis' one-two offensive punch, led the Warriors in the standings throughout most of the season. However, the teams closed out their respective campaigns trending in opposite directions.

Sacramento went just 4-7 over its last 11 games, jeopardizing its playoff hopes. During that stretch, the Kings were a middle-of-the-pack-to-below-average team on both ends of the court, ranking 17th in offensive rating (113.1) and 12th in defensive rating (110.1).

Their offensive struggles coincided with the losses of starting shooting guard Kevin Huerter (shoulder) and Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner Malik Monk (knee). Huerter has been ruled out for the playoffs after undergoing surgery to repair a torn left labrum. Meanwhile, Monk is expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks due to a right MCL sprain.

As for Golden State, it won 10 of its last 12 contests, showcasing its mettle that helped it win four titles since 2015. During that span, the Warriors played elite two-way basketball, ranking fifth in offensive rating (117.0) and fourth in defensive rating (107.8).

So, Steph Curry and Co. appear poised to secure a road victory on Tuesday to keep their playoff hopes alive.

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Draymond Green previews Warriors' play-in tournament matchup against Kings

Golden State will look to end Sacramento's season for the second consecutive year after its 4-3 win in last year's seven-game West quarterfinal matchup. According to Warriors veteran star forward Draymond Green, the teams' familiarity with each other should prepare them for their rivalry's next chapter.

On Sunday, Green touched on what to expect during Tuesday's play-in contest. The former Defensive Player of the Year highlighted the importance of limiting Sabonis and Fox's pick-and-roll game, which ignites Sacramento's offense.

"They've definitely changed a little bit. We know this team pretty well, though, for the most part," Green said. "They're going to run a lot of things through Sabonis. Obviously, everything starts with the head of the snake, De'Aaron. And everyone else gets theirs off those guys.

"They're very much so a pattern team. They got their things that they want to get to. Going into the game, understanding that [and] the things that we'll be trying to take away and not let them get to those patterns. But we know them well. They know us well. So it won't be a surprise."

It remains to be seen if the Warriors can secure another must-win victory in Sacramento. Regardless, given the history between the two sides, Tuesday's face-off projects to be an intense, hard-fought battle.

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