The Pistons are hosting the Timberwolves on Thursday. Detroit is favored by 3.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook, and the game carries a total of 224.5 points.
Let’s dive into my preview and pick for this matchup.
Pistons vs. Timberwolves preview
The Pistons and Timberwolves recently met on Saturday in Minnesota, where Detroit cruised to a 109–87 victory. The Pistons were missing Cade Cunningham (lung), while Anthony Edwards (knee) was sidelined for the Timberwolves. Cunningham remains out on Thursday, while Edwards is questionable. The superstar guard returned from a six-game absence Monday night and scored 17 points in just 22 minutes in a 124–94 win over the Mavericks. One would think he remains in the lineup, but his status is uncertain ahead of Minnesota’s back-to-back, which includes a Friday night stop in Philadelphia.
Considering the Pistons are a tougher opponent than the 76ers, it feels likely that Edwards suits up Thursday night. Following a strong return, the Timberwolves will need his offense to crack Detroit’s elite defense. With Edwards sidelined Saturday, Minnesota scored just 87 points — the team’s second-lowest output of the season. It is a give-and-take situation with Edwards, though. While the Wolves’ offense is much better with him on the floor, their defense suffers, producing a virtually identical net rating with or without him.
The Timberwolves are 46–29 and rank 10th in net rating this season. The squad owns the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, and while they’ll likely avoid the play-in tournament, they still have plenty to play for. Minnesota is only a half-game back of the Rockets for the fifth seed and two games behind the Nuggets for the fourth seed.
The Pistons sit atop the Eastern Conference at 55–21 and rank third in net rating this season. Detroit holds a four-game lead over the Celtics for the No. 1 seed and only needs two more wins to clinch that top spot.
Cunningham was having an MVP-caliber season until suffering a collapsed lung last month. Still, the Pistons have remained formidable without their top star, posting an 11–4 record — including Saturday’s blowout of the Wolves — while he’s sidelined. The only teams to beat Detroit since Cunningham went down are the Thunder and Hawks, both of whom rank top-five in net rating since the All-Star break. Both games went to overtime.
Daniss Jenkins has been a terrific replacement for Cunningham at point guard, while Jalen Duren has continued dominating down low. Detroit’s net rating is 6.1 points per 100 possessions worse without Cunningham, but its 4.8 net rating is still strong. Even without the All-Star guard, the Pistons continue to show that they’re still among the league’s elite.
Pistons vs. Timberwolves pick, best Bet
Even without Cunningham, it’s hard to doubt the Pistons on their home floor. Detroit is 29–9 at Little Caesars Arena this season, while Minnesota is 21–15 on the road — and just 4–8 as a road underdog.
The Pistons are a strong candidate to cover Thursday’s modest 3.5-point spread. Since Cunningham hit the sidelines last month, Detroit is 7–1 against the spread.
