The Detroit Pistons are taking the Eastern Conference by storm. At 22-6, they’re building on a surprise playoff season by looking like true contenders. On Monday night, they’ll travel to face the plucky Portland Trail Blazers and look to build their lead in the East.
Detroit is a -6.5 road favorite on the DraftKings Sportsbook. A Blazers upset is priced at +200, and the game’s total is set at 234.5 points. Let’s dig into the preview, prediction, and best pick for this Pistons-Blazers matchup.
Pistons vs. Trail Blazers preview, prediction
Star development has been the story of the season for these Pistons. Cade Cunningham has truly taken the leap, averaging 27/6/9 in an MVP-caliber season as Detroit’s offensive engine. Jalen Duren has improved everywhere, turning into a nightly double-double threat. And Ausar Thompson has established himself as one of the league’s preeminent defensive forces. Surrounded by a well-fitting cast of role players, this trio is leading Detroit to greatness.
Portland hoped to take a similar leap to Detroit’s last season. They brought in Jrue Holiday as a steadying veteran presence to bolster their defense; unfortunately, with Holiday’s age creeping up on him, this hasn’t come to fruition. Portland sits at 12-16 and has a good deal of soul-searching to do if it hopes to jump into the playoff picture. With little development from the young core to speak of, there are more questions than answers at the moment. But Deni Avdija sure has been one of the answers.
If Deni goes crazy, it’s enough to carry Portland, but Detroit’s defense is a tough test for anyone.
Will the Pistons continue to roll? Or can Portland play the spoilers at home?
Pistons vs. Trail Blazers pick, best bet
It isn’t easy to have much confidence in this Portland team. They have good individual pieces, but they have yet to gel together and find a cohesive identity. Detroit is quite the opposite; everyone is working together beautifully. The defense will dial in, and their diversity of offensive looks will overwhelm a Portland defense that is not playing cohesively.
