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The Detroit Pistons (15-46) visit the Charlotte Hornets (19-43) on Monday night! Action tips off at 7:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Pistons-Hornets prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Detroit has lost four in a row and sits in last place in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons covered 47% of their games while 53% went over the projected point total. Charlotte has won four straight but remains in 14th place in the East. The Hornets covered 45% of their games while 53% went under. This will be the third of four meetings between the conference foes. Detroit won both prior matchups by six and seven points, respectively.
Here are the Pistons-Hornets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Pistons-Hornets Odds
Detroit Pistons: +7 (-108)
Charlotte Hornets: -7 (-112)
Over: 234.5 (-110)
Under: 234.5 (-110)
How To Watch Pistons vs. Hornets
TV: Bally Detroit, Bally Southeast
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
Article Continues Below
The Pistons hold a comfortable lead in the race for the Eastern Conference's worst seed, with 3.5 games separating them and the 14th-place Hornets. With the tank in full effect following All-Star weekend, Detroit finds itself as 7.5-point underdogs against the second-worst team in the conference. However, the Pistons already beat the Hornets twice this year. Even with their recent skid, Detroit has remained frisky as three of their last four losses have come by single digits. The Pistons largely accomplish this thanks to strong offensive rebounding and free-throw numbers. Detroit attempts the most free-throws per game and ranks in the league's top half in offensive rebound rate. That bodes well for their chances of covering tonight considering the Hornets allowed the ninth-most free throw attempts and offensive rebounds per game.
The Pistons' already-barren roster will be without a number of key players tonight as Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey have already been ruled out, while Bojan Bogdanovic and Isaiah Stewart are listed as questionable. However, the return of Marvin Bagley in their most recent matchup gives them a sneaky-good chance of covering tonight. Magley had some great flashes in the season's first half before missing over a month between January 2nd and February 25th. However, he returned over the weekend and put up a dominant 21-point, 18-rebound performance in their loss to the Raptors. While Bagley can't be expected to put up those kinds of numbers every game, his ability to score down low and dominate the glass could be critical tonight against a Charlotte team who has struggled to defend bigs.
Speaking of up-and-down seasons, Detroit has really gotten to see the most of former lottery pick Killian Hayes this year. The seventh-overall selection in the 2020 draft, Hayes has improved significantly this season. In 27 minutes per game, Hayes averages 9.5 PPG, 5.8 APG, and 1.3 SPG. He found a lot of prior success against the Hornets this year, against whom he averaged 14.5 PPG and 6.5 APG while shooting 44%. The 6'5″ guard matches up well with Hornets star LaMelo ball and should be handed the keys tonight with Ivey out. Look for him to impact the game on both ends of the floor, but especially through his playmaking.
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
Charlotte finds itself on a four-game win streak despite being all but eliminated from playoff contention. The Hornets haven't just been beating up on cupcakes either, as three of their last four wins have come against would-be playoff teams. Their offense has been electric over that time, eclipsing 120 points three times while averaging 123.3 PPG. They should continue to see a ton of success on the offensive end considering Detroit allows 119.3 PPG – the second-highest mark in the NBA.
Charlotte has gotten help from up and down their roster of late, but the star of the show has been LaMelo Ball. Over their last four games, Ball averaged 27.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 11.5 APG. He was downright mean from beyond the arc, averaging 5.3 threes per game while shooting 42% from deep. The triple-double threat has eclipsed double-digit assists in five of his last six games and has a great chance to do so again against a putrid Pistons defense.
The X-factor for Charlotte of late has been big man Mark Williams. The 15th-overall pick in last summer's draft, Williams saw his minutes increase following the trade deadline. Since then, he averaged 13.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 2.0 BPG over four appearances. Coming off an 18-point, 20-rebound night against the Heat, look for Williams to assert his dominance against a shaky Detroit front line.
Final Pistons-Hornets Prediction & Pick
Charlotte should easily cover despite the large spread thanks to their recent play.
Final Pistons-Hornets Prediction & Pick: Charlotte Hornets -7 (-112)
