Tipping off at 8:00 p.m. ET across the seven-game NBA slate, the Detroit Pistons will face the Milwaukee Bucks. The Pistons sit at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 13-2 record to start the year, while the Bucks have dropped to 8-8 after a promising start. This matchup is destined to snap a winning streak as Detroit enters having won 11 consecutive games on the season while Milwaukee has won 13 straight games against the Pistons dating back to the 2021-22 season.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s matchup, the Pistons enter as 8.5-point favorites and hold -355 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bucks hold +280 odds of getting the outright victory, with the game total set at 223.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Saturday night matchup.
Pistons at Bucks Preview
The Pistons catapulted back into relevancy last season by posting a 44-38 record and qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2018-19. They have successfully built off and this and are proving this was no fluke through the early parts of the season. Detroit trails only the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the league, with its pair of losses coming against the Bulls and Cavaliers. The Pistons have also gone 11-4 against the spread, and the over holds a record of 8-6-1 in games they have played this year.
Cade Cunningham has flourished into a true NBA superstar, averaging 27.3 points, 9.9 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. Jalen Duren has flashed to be an All-Star caliber center next to him, posting averages of 20.6 points and 11.9 rebounds, while Duncan Robinson has provided a nice pop from the perimeter by connecting on 41.8% of his three-point attempts and launching 7.3 perimeter shots per contest.
Jaden Ivey has yet to make his season debut, but has been upgraded to questionable tonight and participated in the team’s shootaround. Ivey has participated in shootaround and pregame warmups before this year, so it’s not an indicator he will play, but it’s still worth noting. Tobias Harris is also listed as questionable after missing the previous nine games with an ankle injury. Bobi Klintman and Marcus Sasser remain out with their respective injuries.
The Pistons rank 14th in the league in scoring at 118.9 points per game and 12th in offensive rating. Most of their damage is done inside the arc, with Detroit ranking 28th in three-point volume and 21st in efficiency. Defensively, opponents are scoring 112.1 points per game against them, which ranks third in the league, and they are posting the second-best offensive rating. Detroit also ranks third in opponent field goal percentage.
The Milwaukee Bucks got off to a strong start to the season, but have dropped three straight and four of their last five. They have fallen to 8-8 on the year, which puts them tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee established a clear identity by surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo with shooters, but the two-time MVP’s injury has forced a shakeup to their approach. The Bucks are 7-9 against the spread, and the over has cashed in nine games this year.
When he has been on the floor, Antetokounmpo has averaged 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists while shooting a ridiculous 62.9% from the floor. This will mark his fourth missed game of the season and second consecutive after suffering a low-grade groin strain. Kevin Porter Jr. and Taurean Price remain sidelined while Kyle Kuzma is questionable with an illness.
Ryan Rollins has made the most of his opportunities to showcase what he can do this season. The Toledo product is averaging 18.3 points, 5.9 assists, and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 44.3% from beyond the three-point arc. Myles Turner has not quite lived up to expectations yet with averages of 12.4 points and 6.5 rebounds thus far, but is a player whose skillset should be maximized next to Antetokounmpo. Rollins, Turner, A.J. Green, Gary Harris, and Bobby Portis are all shooting above 42% from beyond the three-point arc on respectable volume.
As a team, the Bucks rank 18th in the league in scoring at 117.4 points per game. They are second in the league in team three-point percentage, at 41.3%, and fifth in field goal percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 119.0 points per game against them, which ranks 20th in the league.. Milwaukee is 28th in rebounds per game and 25th in opponent rebounds allowed, as well as 20th in both offensive and defensive rating.
Pistons at Bucks Prediction, Best Bet
The Pistons look like a machine right now and continue to provide more and more evidence for why they must be perceived as a legitimate contending threat. They have a clear identity and play with a toughness that speaks to the foundation that was laid in the losing seasons. While Milwaukee has had success in this matchup in recent years, this Pistons team has to be viewed in a different light.
While the outlook may differ if Antetokounmpo was available and at full strength, the weaknesses of this Bucks team are displayed pretty obviously without him. They have lost three straight games entering this matchup and are averaging just 105.0 points per game across this stretch, even while their most recent game went to overtime. This lack of scoring will further be a concern with Detroit possessing one of the best defenses in the league.
Three-point shooting can be the great equalizer, but Milwaukee’s perimeter looks are predicated on being created off Antetokounmpo’s downhill gravity. The offense has not found a flow without him and this slide began even before his injury popped up.
Expect the Pistons to continue their pathway to winning in convincing fashion and take full advantage of the Bucks playing without their superstar. Count on Cade Cunningham looking like the clear best player on the floor and for Detroit to push the level of scoring well beyond what Milwaukee is capable of matching. They are posting a +6.7 average margin of victory on the season, which ranks fifth in the league, and have won seven of the 11 games in this winning streak by over 8.5points. Milwaukee has not looked like a team capable of slowing this hot streak, so expect Detroit to win and cover the spread again tonight.
