The Brooklyn Nets (43-36) head to the Motor City on Wednesday for an Eastern Conference clash with the Detroit Pistons (16-63). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:10pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Nets-Pistons prediction and pick and information on how to watch.
This is the third meeting of the season between these two teams. Brooklyn won the first meeting, 124-121 back on Dec. 18. Detroit evened the series on Jan. 26 with a 130-122 upset win. Unfortunately for the Pistons, these are almost two entirely different teams from those first two meetings, due to Brooklyn's trades and Detroit's rash of injuries.
Here are the Nets-Pistons NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Nets-Pistons Odds
Brooklyn Nets: -11 (-110)
Detroit Pistons: +11 (-110)
Over: 218 (-110)
Under: 218 (-110)
How To Watch Nets vs. Pistons
TV: BSDET and YES
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
The Pistons have lost 10 consecutive games by an average margin of 14.9 points, with five by at least 19 points.
Their frontcourt is also painfully thin, with Isaiah Livers (ankle) listed as doubtful and power forward Marvin Bagley (concussion protocol) ruled out for a second consecutive game. Bojan Bogdanovic remains sidelined with an Achilles injury suffered on March 1.
Their backcourt isn't in much better shape, as Rodney McGruder (foot) will miss his seventh straight contest and Alec Burks (foot) will miss a 15th consecutive game.
Brooklyn is also at full strength heading into a potential playoff run. The top five seeds in the Eastern Conference—Milwaukee, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland and New York—are locked into the playoffs. The Nets are currently in the sixth seed, just one game (along with a tie-breaker) ahead of Miami (42-37), who just beat Detroit 118-105 last night.
So their backs have been against the wall down the stretch, and for the most part, the team has really held it together despite the departures of superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Point guard Spencer Dinwiddie and forward Cameron Johnson have had massive impacts and monster games as new additions for the Nets, but shooting guard Mikal Bridges has been Brooklyn's breakout star and the most consistent playmaker on both sides of the court since the wave of trades at the NBA's trade deadline.
Bridges has averaged 32.3 points per game over the Nets' last seven games. He was just named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week and he's actually on pace to play in more games than any NBA team in the league this season.
“He's the iron man of the NBA,” Dinwiddie told ESPN’s Nick Friedell.
Erik Slater, ClutchPoints' beat reporter for the Nets, posted a great article breaking down how Bridges has made Brooklyn a dangerous threat heading into the playoffs. Be sure to check it out.
Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
Nevertheless, the Pistons are 36-43 against the spread this season. And the Nets haven't exactly been world-beaters as of late, losing by 13 points a week and a half ago to Orlando before coming up short against Minnesota and beating Utah by just one point.
With that being said, if the Pistons are going to have a chance in this game, they'll need another strong output from guard Jaden Ivey, who just extended his franchise rookie record with his 36th straight game with 10-plus points. Ivey put up 30 points in the Pistons' loss to the Heat last night.
Point guard Killian Hayes and centers Jalen Duren and James Wiseman will also need to produce in a big way for an aforementioned short-handed Pistons frontcourt.
Final Nets-Pistons Prediction & Pick
The home-court advantage won't exactly help, based on the numbers, either. Brooklyn's actually scored at the exact same on the road as they have at home this season (113.5 PPG) and Detroit's actually superior against the spread on the road. Look for the Nets to pull away comfortably in the second half and cover as they make their playoff push.
Final Nets-Pistons Prediction & Pick: Nets -11 (-110)
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