The NBA season will continue with games on Monday. The Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to take on the Detroit Pistons. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Thunder-Pistons prediction and pick.
Both of these teams have had very bad starts to the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder are 6-16 and have lost their last 8 games. While the Detroit Pistons are marginally worse with a record of 4-18 and also have lost their last 8 games. This should be an interesting matchup between two of the league's worst teams.
Here are the odds for the Thunder-Pistons Monday night NBA matchup, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Thunder-Pistons Odds
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Oklahoma City Thunder: +4.5 (-110)
Detroit Pistons: -4.5 (-110)
Over: 203.5 (-110)
Under: 203.5 (-110)
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the worst teams in basketball. They are coming off a historic loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, losing 152-79. This embarrassment of a performance from OKC might be the fuel they need to bounce back against a much weaker opponent. The Pistons are one of if not the only team having a worse season than the Thunder, so Monday’s matchup should at least be a close one. This is one game OKC could actually come out ahead of.
Injuries have definitely impacted this Thunder team. The absence of SGA will have a huge impact on OKC, but it will give other players the opportunity to step up. One player who could do just that is Luguentz Dort. Lu Dort has been having a solid season and the Thunder will look to him to carry this team to a win on Monday. He is one of the Thunder’s only bright spots, averaging nearly 17 points a game. If Dort can have a solid outing on the road the Thunder could pull ahead of a weak Pistons team.
Another player who could step up for OKC is Tre Mann. The rookie Mann has not had a lot of opportunity this season but is starting to play significant minutes. Mann has scored double digit points in each of the Thunder’s last three games and will look to continue to do so on Monday. The rookie is kind of a wild card for this Thunder team, but they have nothing to lose. Expect Mann to see significant minutes and to do his best to capitalize on the opportunity.
Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
The Detroit Pistons have been having an abysmal season. This team just hasn't been able to win games, but this matchup against OKC invites the possibility of a Detroit win. The Pistons are coming off an 11 point loss to the Phoenix Suns. They will look to bounce back at home against a much weaker opponent. Neither of these teams have serious playoff ambitions, but it's still early enough in the season that they will both be battling hard to get a win. At this point it's a matter of pride, so expect Detroit to try and defend their home court.
The Pistons actually have some talent on their roster. One player who continues to keep Detroit in games is Jerami Grant. Grant has been an offensive powerhouse for Detroit. In their loss to Phoenix he scored 34 points. On the season he is averaging over 20 points per game. This Pistons team doesn't have many offensive options, so they have looked to Grant to carry that burden. While the team hasn't had a lot of success, Jerami Grant has more than done his part to give his team a shot at winning games.
Another player that has been a solid contributor for Detroit is Isaiah Stewart. Stewart provides the Pistons with a presence in the paint. In their loss to the Suns, Stewart had 12 points and 14 rebounds. While he may not always have an amazing stat line he does important things for Detroit. Stewart is a grinder and will look to out battle the Thunder down low on Monday. If Stewart can assert dominance and win the battle of the paint, that could set up Detroit for success in the rest of the game.
Final Thunder-Pistons Prediction & Pick
This is not an easy decision. Both of these teams have not been good this season. However, with injuries and the current rosters, the Piston look like the better team. Even though OKC has a better record, they have been getting demolished recently. While Detroit only has four wins, they have managed to be competitive for most of their games. Pick the Pistons to win and cover and get ready for a really interesting game between two of the leagues worst.
FINAL THUNDER-PISTONS PICK: Detroit Pistons -4.5 (-110)
FINAL THUNDER-PISTONS SCORE PREDICTION: Pistons 106 – Thunder 98
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