It's time for yet another betting prediction and pick inside the NBa on Martin Luther King Jr. Day as we take to the Eastern Conference for this next rivalry tilt. The Boston Celtics (26-15) will visit the Detroit Pistons (30-10) for their fourth meeting this season, Detroit leading 2-1. Check our NBA odds series for the Celtics-Pistons prediction and pick.
The Boston Celtics are second in the Eastern Conference following their most recent 132-106 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Following a four-game winning streak, they've stumbled with a 3-3 record over their last six games, hoping to even their season series against the Pistons.
The Detroit Pistons currently lead the Eastern Conference standings, beating the Indiana Pacers 121-78 during their last game. They continue trending in the right direction with five wins over their last six games, hoping to close this season series against the Celtics with a decisive lead.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings
Celtics vs. Pistons MLK Day Odds
Boston Celtics: +3.5 (-115)
Detroit Pistons: -3.5 (-105)
Over: 224.5 (-108)
Under: 224.5 (-112)
Celtics vs. Pistons Key Injuries
Boston: Chris Boucher (back – Probable) / Josh Minott (ankle – OUT) / Jayson Tatum (achilles – OUT)
Detroit: Ronald Holland II (illness – OUT)
Celtics vs. Pistons Betting Trends
- The Detroit Pistons are 17-4 at home. The Boston Celtics are 14-8 on the road.
- The Pistons are 23-9 as betting favorites. The Celtics are 7-6 as underdogs.
- The Pistons are 22-18 ATS overall, 12-9 ATS at home. The Celtics are 23-18 ATS overall, 14-8 ATS on the road.
- The Celtics are 7-3 outright in their last 10 games against the Pistons. Detroit is 6-4 ATS in those games.
- The Celtics are 2-4 ATS in their last six games.
- The Pistons are 4-2 ATS in their last six games.
- The total has gone UNDER in five of Boston's last seven games.
- The total has gone UNDER in Detroit's last seven consecutive games.
Keys to Celtics vs. Pistons Matchup
Both Detroit and Boston continue their run atop the Eastern Conference in their respective one-two spots, both catching heat over the last 10 games and keeping pace with each other in the standings. The Pistons have the upper hand in this matchup, however, owning the season series 2-1 behind team-high scoring performances from Cade Cunningham. Still, each of their three meetings thus far have been decided by single-digits, so fans should be in for another close battle in their final meeting before a likely playoffs series.
The Celtics have exceeded all expectations without Jayson Tatum this season thanks to Jaylen Brown playing MVP-caliber basketball. He currently holds the fourth-shortest odds to win the awards behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Cade Cunningham. On the other side, Cade Cunningham is the favorite to win ‘Clutch Player of the Year' along with SGA, so we'll see two of the game's best going head-to-head once again tonight.
Brown is averaging a wild 36.0 PPG against the Pistons this season, but he'll certainly need Derrick White to assist with his three-point shooting along with Payton Pritchard behind aggressive in driving the lane. While the Celtics are one of the league's best teams in defending and moving the ball in transition, they average the second-fewest (23.9) assists per game in the NBA, so both Pritchard and White will have to be more fluid in swinging the ball around the perimeters. Despite all this, the Celtics have still found ways to win games and they'd likely be far ahead in the East if Jayson Tatum was healthy and playing.
Still, the Pistons are the favorites here for a reason with their size in the paint thanks to Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. Their physical play in the paint has stifled strong offensive teams, so expect the pair to be active once again in rebounding and turning away shots in the interior.
Celtics vs. Pistons Prediction and Pick
The Celtics and Pistons will conclude their heated season series as Boston owns the chance to tie things up. Jaylen Brown has had some of his highest-scoring games against the Pistons this season, so it'll be interesting to see if Detroit comes up with an effective game plan to shut him down on their home floor. The Pistons will offer their own resistance defensively, ranking as one of the NBA's top teams on both ends of the floor.
While I expect Jaylen Brown to have another massive scoring day in this game, the Pistons have been too consistent with their play and should find a way to win this game at home. While the margins have been slim, we'll roll with Detroit to cover the spread as well in what should be a defensive battle.
Final Celtics-Pistons Prediction & Pick: Detroit Pistons -3.5 (-105); UNDER 224.5 (-112)
