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The Brooklyn Nets host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night in the Association! It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Pistons-Nets prediction and pick.
As the season starts to wind down, the Detroit Pistons continue to lose games which is probably the smart plan at this point. Detroit is (20-55) on the season which is the third-worst record in the NBA. They are just a half-game ahead of the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets. There is one shining piece of armor for the Pistons which is Cade Cunningham. He's averaging 17.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. It will be exciting to see how he performs next season after playing well as a rookie.
The Nets are definitely feeling better about their playoff chances now that Kyrie Irving is back full-time. Although, that didn't work out in their favor last game as they got outplayed by the Charlotte Hornets. The Nets are still in a good spot for now as they are the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference, just a half-game ahead of the Hornets. A win tonight for the Nets will give them a full-game cushion at (39-36) on the season.
Here are the Pistons-Nets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pistons-Nets Odds
Detroit Pistons: +13.5 (-108)
Brooklyn Nets: -13.5 (-112)
Over: 234 (-110)
Under: 234 (-110)
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Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
The Pistons have a shot at covering this spread because of how large it is. Keeping this game close won't be easy for the struggling Pistons, but losing by less than 14 is doable. The Nets are hungry right now and that is not a good sign for Detroit. The Nets are doing whatever they can to try and secure the 6th seed in the East but they are currently four games behind the Toronto Raptors. If they win out for the rest of the season, they still likely won't get there because of how well Toronto and the Chicago Bulls have played all year. But that won't stop the Nets from trying to win each game and they should be able to take down the Pistons at home.
The last time these two teams faced, Kevin Durant scored 51 points in the win as they won 116-104. Durant will likely play well but the Pistons must try and contain him and not let him go off again. If it does happen again, then that shows that the Pistons have pretty much given up on the season. Jerami Grant will miss the rest of the season with a left calf strain and so there isn't much motivation for the Pistons right now. Betting on the would be a huge risk.
Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
The Nets are pretty much as healthy as they are going to be for tonight. Joe Harris remains out alongside Ben Simmons, but the Nets still have their entire lineup ready. This will be an easy game to win for the Nets but covering 13.5 isn't easy. They won by 12 last time they faced when Durant scored 51. Because the circumstances are different right now, I fully expect the Nets to try and dominate them and cover this spread.
Brooklyn is (7-3) in their last 10 games. This is actually one of their better runs of the season, as the last time they were that consistent was before Durant went down with that injury that kept him out six weeks or so. The Nets lost a ton of games without Durant and Irving available. Now with them healthy, the Nets will frighten any team they face in the playoffs. If they were healthy all season, the Nets would be a top-3 seed in the East right now. Well, top-5 considering how close it is. The Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Boston Celtics are all one game behind the Miami Heat for the No. 1 seed in the East. The Celtics just had the top spot before they lost to the Raptors last night.
Final Pistons-Nets Prediction & Pick
Even though the Pistons are great, they are better than the Nets against the spread. Detroit is (39-33-2) compared to the Nets at (30-42-2). That makes this a tough choice because the spread is at 13.5 right now. I have to assume the Nets are going to come out pissed off so take them to cover this spread at home.
Final Pistons-Nets Pick: Brooklyn Nets -13.5 (-112)
