The Pistons are on a six-game win streak after defeating the 76ers on Sunday. They’re in first in the Eastern Conference and have the second best record in the NBA.
This is the second game of a back-to-back, but it’s against a Wizards team that’s last in the NBA. It’s projected to be a blowout.
Detroit is a 12.5-point favorite and -950 on the moneyline, while Washington is +625 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set to 234.5 points. Below, I’ll break down this matchup with a preview, prediction and best bet.
Pistons vs. Wizards preview, prediction
The Pistons and Wizards are far apart in the NBA standings. Detroit is a playoff team looking to contend for a deep postseason run in a watered-down Eastern Conference. Washington is a bottom feeder in the same conference, living off scraps until the 2026 draft.
The Wizards have a handful of promising young players that are showing improvement this season, but it hasn’t materialized into wins yet. Maybe next year the rebuild takes a step forward. Until then, there will be a lot of losses.
Washington has a terrible mix of high pace (104.21) and bad defensive rating (122.1), ranking third and 29th, respectively. Meanwhile, the Pistons play a slower style that emphasizes defense. It’s a clash of two genres of basketball, but the Pistons will be able to play the game how they please.
Although Detroit is a below average team in terms of pace, it will likely play fast given the opportunity here. A fast-paced game against a poor defensive team equals many, many easy buckets. The Wizards allow the third most fast-break points per game (18.8). They’re also allowing the second most points in the paint per game (56).
This projects to be a great game for Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, a duo wreaking havoc over the early portion of the season.
Pistons vs. Wizards pick, best bet
While there are some bright spots in Washington, there aren’t enough to make this a close game. Even with Detroit playing the second leg of a back-to-back, this shouldn’t be a close one.
The Pistons will continue their six-game win streak by blowing out the Wizards.