The Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers will face off in the later portion of tonight’s six-game NBA slate.
This is the first matchup between these cross-conference opponents this season. These two sides hold very different outlooks on the season. The Pistons are exceeding their expectations in the East, while the Clippers have wildly underperformed and sit near the bottom of the Western Conference.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s matchup, the Pistons enter as 3.5-point favorites and hold -155 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Clippers hold +130 odds of getting the outright victory with the game total set at 224.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Sunday night matchup.
Pistons at Clippers prediction, preview
The Detroit Pistons are 24-7 on the season and sit at the top of the Eastern Conference. They are looking to bounce back from a loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday, but they have won seven of their last nine games. Detroit is 17-14 against the spread this season, and the over is 16-14-1 in matchups it has played.
Cade Cunningham headlines the production, looking like an All-NBA caliber talent all year. The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 26.5 points, 9.6 assists and 6.3 rebounds. Jalen Duren has taken a notable leap in his development, posting averages of 18.3 points and 10.8 rebounds. Duncan Robinson has added a necessary level of floor spacing, shooting 39.4% from beyond the three-point arc on a team-high 7.4 perimeter shots per game. Tobias Harris, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart and Caris LeVert each play a notable role in the rotation as well.
As a team, the Pistons average 119.5 points per game, which ranks ninth in the NBA. They also rank eighth in offensive rating, 11th in pace, eighth in field-goal percentage, 22nd in three-point percentage and second in rebounds per game. Defensively, Detroit is holding opponents to 112.9 points per game. This is the sixth-best mark in the league, and the group also ranks second in defensive rating, second in opponent field-goal percentage, ninth in opponent three-point percentage and sixth in opponent rebounds allowed.
The outlook has been far more negative for the Clippers, who are in the midst of a disastrous season. Los Angeles has dropped to 9-21 on the year and sits in 13th place in the Western Conference. It has won three straight games entering this matchup, which marks its longest winning streak of the season. The Clippers are 11-19 against the spread, and the under has cashed in 16 of their 30 games.
Ivica Zubac suffered a sprained ankle in last Saturday’s matchup with the Lakers and will remain out tonight. He joined Bradley Beal, who is out for the season, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, who will miss with a hamstring issue tonight. Cam Christie is also listed as questionable with an ankle sprain, while John Collins was downgraded to questionable with an illness.
James Harden headlines the production for the Clippers, posting averages of 26.3 points, 8.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard will suit up for his 21st game of the season and is recording 26.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn and Nicolas Batum play an important role in their rotation, and Brook Lopez has turned back the clock a bit in recent games.
Collectively, the Clippers are averaging 111.5 points per game, which ranks 28th in the NBA. They rank 19th in offensive rating, 15th in field-goal percentage, 11th in three-point percentage and 28th in rebounds per game. On the defensive side of the ball, opponents are scoring 115.3 points per game against Los Angeles. This ranks 13th, and it ranks 25th in defensive rating, 19th in opponent field-goal percentage and 27th in opponent three-point percentage.
Pistons at Clippers pick, best bet
The Clippers deserve credit for their three-game winning streak, but this is not enough to overlook the struggles on the season. James Harden and Kawhi Leonard still show flashes of playing All-Star quality basketball, but there is not enough talent on this overall roster. Los Angeles doubled down by betting on aging veteran players in the offseason and is paying the price for it.
This will be especially problematic against a team like the Pistons, who are loaded with athleticism and depth. Detroit knows its identity as a basketball team, and leans on its physicality. Expect this to be bothersome against this Clippers team.
Most concerning, the Clippers have really struggled rebounding the basketball. Los Angeles ranks 28th in rebounds per game and 19th in rebounding percentage on the season. This outlook will only worsen without Zubac, who leads the team with 11.1 rebounds per contest. Detroit ranks second in rebounds per game and is producing the second-best rebounding percentage. Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson each attack the glass with a physicality and athleticism that the Clippers will struggle to match.
Expect Detroit to be the better team on both sides of the basketball tonight. The athleticism, defensive impact and toughness of this Pistons team will stand out as the difference for them tonight. It is time to start acknowledging the Pistons as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference in a way it still does not quite feel like they are being recognized. Look for them to cover the 3.5-point spread and maintain full control of this matchup throughout. For the sake of the article, I am locking in the 3.5-point spread. But give some consideration to the alternate lines as well, such as -9.5 at +199 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Don’t be shocked if this game gets out of control early and back the Pistons to make a statement tonight.
