An Eastern Conference showdown between a pair of underwhelming teams is on tap for this evening s the Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in the Motor City. Join us for our NBA odds series where our Pacers-Pistons prediction and pick will be made.

Remaining one-game back of the tenth and final play-in tournament spot, the 30-37 Indiana Pacers know that the time is now to make a move upward in the Eastern Conference standings. Despite posting a measly 11-21 record on the road, Indiana has a chance to win two in a row after defeating the Rockets in overtime only two days ago.

Simply put, the Pistons and their fan base cannot wait for the regular season to conclude. Entering play for tonight's game, Detroit is an abysmal 15-52 overall and have even failed to give their home crowd anything to cheer about with an 8-26 mark at Little Caesars Arena. To make matters worse, the Pistons have lost ten games in a row and don't appear to be improving their play anytime soon.

Here are the Pacers-Pistons NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Pacers-Pistons Odds

Indiana Pacers: -5.5 (-110)

Detroit Pistons: +5.5 (-110)

Over: 229 (-110)

Under: 229 (-110)

How To Watch Pacers vs. Pistons

TV: Bally Sports Detroit

Stream: NBA League Pass

Time: 7:00 ET/4:o0 PT

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread

First things first, the one downfall that the Pacers might endure in this one is the lacking of a supporting cast that often times sees valuable minutes. As it stands, point guard T.J. McConnell and Tyrese Haliburton remain as game-time decisions while rookie impact player Bennedict Mathurin remains out. If the Pacers are without a good bulk of their starting lineup, then finding a way to cover the spread may prove to be difficult.

Regardless, even if Indiana remains shorthanded, they will certainly be more than capable to take care of business as the road team. One name that isn't listed on the injury report is sharpshooter Buddy Hield. Ever since his playing days at Oklahoma, Heild has showcased his long-range shooting ability, as he has the capability to take over games in the blink of an eye. Conversely enough, it will be important to see how he looks in the opening minutes of this contest, as making his first shots from the field could catapult him into a largely productive night.

Most importantly, the Pacers have been rather inconsistent in regard to their rebounding efforts, as Indiana was edged out by Houston on the glass rather significantly despite winning in overtime. Alas, the Pistons don't boast a ton of height in the paint, but not boxing out and getting after loose balls won't do the Pacers any favors.

Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread

The losses keep piling up in unfortunate fashion for the Pistons of late, but there is no doubt that Detroit would love to get their young roster some wins down the stretch to be feeling good about themselves ahead of next season. After embarking on a 23-59 record a year ago, it certainly is deflating that the Pistons have seemingly taken a step back in their rebuilding process this season, as the additions of point guard Jaden Ivey and other newcomers haven't really helped one bit.

Even more bad news tonight comes in the form that Ivey recently entered health and safety protocols and will miss tonight's action. In addition, the Pistons have been quite dreadful in covering the spread this season, as their 29-35 record ATS hasn't been all that impressive. The outcome of this evening's matchup will fall on the shoulders of Detroit's next-man-up mentality, as it will be up to shooting guard Alec Burks. Although not necessarily known for his scoring with 12.8 PPG, the Pistons lineup has been so abused with injuries and illnesses that the offense may have to run through him.

Believe it or not, the Pistons do happen to be good at one thing, and that happens to be forcing occasional turnovers. While they only rank within the middle of the pack of the league in this statistic, creating havoc defensively by pressuring Indiana to make bad decisions with the basketball will only provide the Pistons with more scoring opportunities en route to attempting to cover.

Final Pacers-Pistons Prediction & Pick

Bafflingly enough, each team in this lethargic showdown is missing most of their key players. Nevertheless, even though Indiana has been rather horrendous on the road, side with them to cover and further prolong Detroit's merciless suffering this season.

Final Pacers-Pistons Prediction & Pick: Pacers -5.5 (-110)