The Detroit Pistons will take on the Utah Jazz in an interconference battle on Friday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Pistons-Jazz prediction and pick.
These teams couldn't be more different. The Pistons have been one of the NBA's worst teams this season, earning an 11-33 record over the course of the year. Meanwhile, the Jazz have been one of the best teams in the league for the second-straight campaign. Their 29-16 record is good enough for the fourth seed in the hotly contested Western Conference. Strangely enough, the Pistons won outright the last time these teams played, so there's a good chance this game is much closer than anyone expects.
Here are the Pistons-Jazz NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pistons-Jazz Odds
Detroit Pistons: +13.5 (-110)
Utah Jazz: -13.5 (-110)
Over: 218 (-110)
Under: 218 (-110)
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Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
The Pistons won't be playing a full-strength Jazz team here. Superstar shooting guard Donovan Mitchell will likely miss this contest with concussion symptoms, and defensive anchor Rudy Gobert is questionable with an ankle injury. Those are arguably the two best players on the team, making things much easier for the Pistons. When Detroit beat the Jazz last, Utah was without Gobert but with Mitchell. Now all they have to do is cover a 13-point spread when the Jazz are missing their two best overall players.
Despite their terrible overall record, the Pistons have been playing decent basketball lately. They're 4-3 in their last seven games, and all three of those losses have come against elite teams, including the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors. Detroit has also shown the ability to win games in different ways, as they managed to score 133 points in a shootout with the Sacramento Kings right after winning by only scoring 103 points against the Toronto Raptors. This spread just seems a little too big for a Pistons team that is quietly playing solid basketball lately.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
Utah has the statistical advantage in almost every single category in this game. The Jazz offense should have a particularly productive night, as Utah ranks inside the top five in the NBA in shooting percentage, shooting efficiency, and effective field goal percentage. The Pistons allow their opponents to shoot 53% from inside the arc and 36% from three-point range, two of the worst numbers in the league. Even without Mitchell, the Jazz should be scoring frequently in this one.
The Jazz either rank just outside the top-10 or within it in nearly every single defensive category. The Pistons' offense pretty much has the opposite numbers. Detroit is one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA, both from two-point range and from deep. The Pistons also commit nearly 15 turnovers per game, another one of the worst numbers in basketball. The Jazz should dominate on the defensive end here.
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Final Pistons-Jazz Prediction & Pick
Because of the key injuries to the Jazz, this spread is just a little too large to trust them. The Pistons have been playing decently lately, and they should be able to cover a huge spread like this one fairly easily.
Final Pistons-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Detroit Pistons: +13.5 (-110)
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