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The Detroit Pistons will travel to take on the Philadelphia 76ers in a Wednesday night NBA matchup at the Wells Fargo Center. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Pistons-76ers prediction and pick, laid out below.
Detroit has suffered to an 8-25 record this season, 15th place in the Eastern Conference. For three straight seasons, Detroit has won under 25 games, and this season may not be much better. Somehow, Dwane Casey has kept his job despite the sustained rebuilding efforts.
Philadelphia has surged to a 17-12 record on the back of their current five-game winning streak. Still, Philadelphia is in fifth place in a strong Eastern Conference. Head coach Doc Rivers has his team primed for yet another playoff appearance, which he has done each of his first two seasons with Philadelphia.
Here are the Pistons-76ers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Pistons-76ers Odds
Detroit Pistons: +11.5 (-111)
Philadelphia 76ers: -11.5 (-108)
Over: 223.5 (-110)
Under: 223.5 (-110)
Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
Cade Cunningham, the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, is out for the season with a shin injury. Cunningham had been the team's second-leading scorer. Bojan Bogdanovic leads the team with 21.1 points per game, shooting 42.1 percent from behind the arc. Last year's fifth overall pick Jaden Ivey has averaged 15.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. Alec Burks, who plays exclusively off the bench, has averaged 13.6 points per game on 40.0 percent shooting from three-point land. Big man Isaiah Stewart leads the team with 8.3 rebounds, also averaging 11.8 points per game.
The scoring output would be a career-high for the third-year pro. Saddiq Bey has averaged 14.0 points per game. More noteworthy is his ability to protect the basketball, averaging just one turnover per game. Philadelphia forces 16.0 turnovers per game, which is sixth best in the league. Killian Hayes has taken over point guard duties with Cunningham out and has averaged 5.3 assists per game, which would tie his career high.
Detroit has averaged 111.3 points per game, which is 19th in the league. The issue has been the Detroit defense, which is second to last in the league by allowing 118.2 points per game.
Why The 76ers Could Cover The Spread
Joel Embiid has dominated as the healthiest 76er star, leading the team with 33.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Embiid also leads the team with 1.5 blocks per game. James Harden, recently returning from injury, has averaged 21.9 points and 10.5 assists per game in 15 games, the lone 76er averaging a double-double. The team’s second-leading scorer, Tyrese Maxey, is still out with a foot injury. Tobias Harris is at 17.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, playing second fiddle to Embiid while the injuries mounted. Now, the 76ers have a legit three-man threat, albeit when Maxey is back and healthy.
Harris has filled in admirably while both Harden and Maxey have missed significant time this season. De’Anthony Melton has dominated on the defensive end, leading the team with 2.2 steals per game. Philadelphia ranks fourth, averaging 8.7 steals per game. However, Detroit has been solid, only turning the ball over 14.3 times per game.
Philadelphia has averaged 111.2 points per game, which ranks 20th in the league. Defense has been the story for the team, holding opponents to 107.9 points per game, which ranks third in the league.
Final Pistons-76ers Prediction & Pick
The Detroit defense is bad enough to push the total over. Philadelphia should roll over the rebuilding Pistons.
Final Pistons-76ers Prediction & Pick: Philadelphia -11.5 (-108), over 223.5 (-110)
