Pistons vs. Rockets Pick
With their playoff lives at stake, will the Detroit Pistons put up any fight against the Houston Rockets tonight at 8PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Rockets are the clear favorite in this game, as Houston is getting odds of -12 points against the Pistons. The over/under total for the game is listed at 222.5 points. Houston won the lone meeting this season, 99-96, at Detroit back in November.
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Detroit had a 20-point lead on the Raptors Wednesday night, but still managed to lose 105-102 for their seventh loss in eight games. The Pistons are now 35-43 on the season and 3.5 games out of the playoff race. They must win out while getting a lot of help if they want to make the postseason. Detroit is now 36-42 against the spread this season and comes into today averaging just 101.1 points per game on offense while allowing 102.4 on defense. Over its last five games, the Pistons are putting up only 99 points per contest while allowing 106.1 on defense. Tobias Harris is leading the team with 16.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while Andre Drummond adds 13.9 points and 13.9 rebounds per contest.
The Rockets are coming off a 110-104 win over the Nuggets at home for their second straight win. They are now 53-25 on the season and planted into the third seed for the playoffs. Houston has failed to cover in its last five games and is now 42-36 against the spread on the season. On the season, Houston is averaging 115.3 points per game on offense while allowing 109 on defense. Over their last five, the Rockets are scoring 117.3 on offense and allowing 107.9 on defense. James Harden is trying to lead an MVP campaign, averaging 29.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 11.2 assists per game. Despite having nothing left to play for as a team, Harden isn’t expected to rest.
The Pistons have everything at stake, so you would normally expect a good effort, but the Pistons had all their wind taken away after blowing a 20-point lead at home to Toronto. Houston’s offense will be far too much for Detroit to handle. I expect the Pistons to start folding up shop when things get out of hand early.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: HOUSTON ROCKETS -12