Kings face historical betting odds against Warriors in playoffs

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings are going up against the defending champions in their return to the playoffs Saturday, and betting websites have them as clear underdogs in the contest.

According to one sports betting analyst, it's to a historical degree. Evan Abrams said the sixth-seed Warriors are -300 on the series price to beat the Kings in the first round. The Kings are +230. He said the last time the third seed has been an underdog to this degree was back in 1990.

FanDuel, another sports betting site, has the Warriors as the favorites in the playoff contest. Golden State is listed -260 to advance to the second round while Sacramento is a +215 underdog. 

The Kings ended with a better record than the Warriors, and they even busted a 17-year playoff drought to make it to the postseason. They didn't know who their opponents were going to be until the last games of the regular season. 

According to TickPick, a ticket website, Game 1 between the Warriors and Kings is set to be the most expensive first round of a NBA playoff game on record.