The San Antonio Spurs take on the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night in San Antonio. The game tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET at the Frost Bank Center.
The Spurs are 3.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total for this game set at O/U 228.5 points. Let’s get into my preview, prediction and pick for this Spurs vs. Pistons game.
Spurs vs. Pistons prediction, preview
This is a battle of two of the top three teams in the NBA. The Spurs are the clear second-best team in the Western Conference, with a 5.5-game gap between them and third place. Having a healthy Victor Wembanyama, who has taken that next step even quicker than many thought, combined with other young talent, has been a big hit. The move to acquire De’Aaron Fox seems like the right move, along with recent draft picks Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle. This team is loaded with young talent and is ready to compete for a title way ahead of schedule. They are also playing their best basketball of the season right now. San Antonio went on an amazing 11-game winning streak, which was snapped by the Knicks on Sunday. However, the Spurs bounced right back with a blowout win over the 76ers last time out.
The Pistons are another team that has taken the next step this season. Detroit was a good team last year, but it was not a serious title contender by any means. This season, they have gone to an entirely different level. Cade Cunningham has further asserted himself as a star, ranking fifth in the NBA in combined points and assists this season. Meanwhile, Jalen Duren has also taken the next step. He has become a top-10 rebounder in the league, in addition to being an efficient scorer. Detroit is likely to be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and control its path to the NBA Finals. The Pistons already have wins against the Thunder, Rockets, Nuggets (x2), Celtics (x3) and Knicks (x3) this season. The one elite team they still need to prove themselves against is the Spurs.
Spurs vs. Pistons pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is for the Pistons to cover as 3.5-point underdogs. These teams faced off just a couple of weeks ago, and the Spurs got the win. The Spurs led by two points at halftime, but pulled away late for a relatively comfortable win. However, that was one of the worst games that Cade Cunningham has played all season. Cunningham shot a shocking 5/26 from the floor. Jalen Duren did a decent job defensively against Victor Wembanyama and scored 25 points himself on the other end. If Duren can repeat that level of performance and Cunningham plays to his normal standard, the Pistons have a good chance of winning this game. The Pistons have had no problem going on the road this season, with the second-best road record in the NBA behind the Thunder. They should come into San Antonio and take the Spurs down to the wire, covering this short spread.
