The Detroit Pistons (3-8) take on the Boston Celtics (7-3) on Wednesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Pistons-Celtics prediction and pick.
Detroit is just 3-8 this season following their nine-point win over Oklahoma City on Monday. They've faired slightly better against the spread this season where they've covered five of their eleven games. Six of Detroit's eleven matchups have gone over. For Boston, they improved to 7-3 thanks to their third consecutive win over Memphis on Monday. The Celtics are just 4-6 against the spread and 60% of their matchups have gone over. Boston took three of four matchups between the two teams last season. The Celtics won by nine, nine, and 11-point margins, while the Pistons won their one-game by one.
Here are the Pistons-Celtics NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Pistons-Celtics Odds
Detroit Pistons:+13 (-110)
Boston Celtics: -13 (-110)
Over: 225.5 (-110)
Under: 225.5 (-110)
Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
Despite their 3-8 record, there is plenty of room for optimism for fans of the Pistons. Detroit has seemingly found their backcourt of the future in Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey and have a number of bright young players such as Saddiq Bey, Isiah Stewart, and Killian Hayes. That being said, potential doesn't always translate to on-court results and that's been the case this season.
Detroit is near the bottom of the league in nearly every team statistic. Offensively, the Pistons score the third-fewest points per game and are 27th in offensive efficiency. Things don't get much better on the defensive end of the floor where Detroit gives up the fifth-highest points per game. They've been just as bad on the glass where they are 27th in rebounding differential.
For the Pistons to cover tonight, they'll need strong outings from their backcourt duo of Cunningham and Ivey. Cunningham (last year's first overall pick) has had a nice sophomore bump this season – improving his field goal percentage, scoring, rebounding, and passing. For the season, Cade averages 21.4 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 6.5 RPG. He still isn't an efficient shooter at just 43.2% but has shown the ability to have efficient, high-scoring games such as his 35-point performance against the Hawks last month where he shot 61% for the game.
As for Ivey, the fifth overall selection in this year's draft has had an up-and-down start to his NBA career. He's flashed brilliance at times but has yet to score 20 points in a game. However, he's been a steady force on the Pistons' offense. For the season Ivey averages 15 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. Ivey is bound to heat up soon and have a couple of breakout scoring games – something worth keeping in mind when making a Pistons-Celtics prediction.
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
Boston has been one of the best teams in the league this season despite their 7-3 record as two of their losses came in overtime to Cleveland. The Celtics feature an elite offense that ranks eighth in points per game and first in offensive efficiency. They've been uncharacteristically poor on defense, however, as they're just 13th in points allowed and 23rd in defensive efficiency. That, coupled with the 25th-ranked rebounding differential have resulted in a solid, but not spectacular start from last year's Eastern Conference champs.
The story of the season thus far for Boston has been the play of forward Jayson Tatum. Tatum has skyrocketed up the MVP ladder to start the year as he currently has the third-best odds to take home the award. For the season, Tatum has averaged 30.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 4.0 APG while contributing nearly a steal and over a block per game. Tatum has put up these numbers while maintaining a solid 49.7% field goal percentage and 36% three-point percentage. Tatum has a solid track record against Detroit as well, seeing how last year he averaged 25.8 points and eight rebounds per game against the Pistons. He's been red-hot across his last three games; scoring 35, 29, and 40 points.
The Celtics have perhaps the best “Robin” in the league in wing Jaylen Brown. Despite deferring to Tatum as the team's alpha, Brown is having a great year in his own right. For the season, Brown has averaged 24.2 points and 6.3 rebounds despite a cold start from an efficiency standpoint (44.7 FG% and 33.8 3P%). Brown, too, was a nightmare for the Pistons last year as he averaged 23.3 points and five rebounds against Detroit.
Final Pistons-Celtics Prediction & Pick
The Pistons have some nice young pieces but with the game in Boston and given how well the Celtics have played of late, I'd expect the Celtics to handle Detroit with ease.
Final Pistons-Celtics Prediction & Pick: Boston Celtics -13 (-110)
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