The Pistons will host the Magic tonight at 7 PM EST for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first round. The Magic will be without Jonathan Isaac, while the Pistons have not yet submitted their injury report.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Pistons are favored by 8.5 points and this game carries a total of 218.5 points.
Let’s dive into three of my favorite player prop bets for Wednesday’s Game 2 matchup between the Pistons and Magic.
Best Pistons vs. Magic Player Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Wendell Carter Jr. Over 1.5 Assists (-160)
Despite Detroit allowing a league-low 23.5 APG during the regular season, Wendell Carter Jr. somehow still found five of them in Orlando’s Game 1 upset against the Pistons. Carter wasn’t functioning as some new high-volume creator; he was more of a steady connector once Detroit’s defense got pulled toward other priorities. His five assists led to a Jalen Suggs 3, a Franz Wagner layup, two Tristan da Silva buckets, and a Desmond Bane jumper. With the Pistons rotating and shifting elsewhere, Carter consistently made the simple, right read and took what the defense gave him. Carter Jr. averaged 2 APG in the regular season and could easily match his season average tonight in the same way that he found dimes in Game 1.
In Carter Jr.’s matchups against the Pistons in the regular season, he recorded two assists in 15 minutes, three assists in 32 minutes, two assists in 32 minutes, and three assists in 18 minutes.
Jalen Duren Under 17.5 Points (-128)
After dropping Game 1 to Orlando, Detroit figures to make a stronger effort to involve Jalen Duren the rest of the series. He was barely part of the offense in the opener, finishing with just eight points on four shot attempts across 33 minutes.
The problem is Orlando is built to handle that assignment. The Magic can throw multiple big, physical bodies at him near the rim, including Wendell Carter Jr., Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Goga Bitadze. They were clearly intent on shrinking his space in Game 1, collapsing on his rolls and making it difficult for him to even receive the ball in useful spots. The rebounding was another win for Orlando, with Duren finishing with only seven boards after averaging 10.5 RPG in the regular season. That approach is likely to stick, because clearly, shutting down Duren while allowing Cade Cunningham to go for 39 is a winning formula for the Magic.
Cade Cunningham Under 9.5 Assists (+104)
Cunningham hit for a huge 39 points on 13/27 shooting in the Pistons’ Game 1 defeat to the Magic, but with only four assists. The Magic packed the paint and loaded up on Cunningham’s pick and roll game with Duren, which is where he generates many of his assists. While Cunningham also happened to miss some reads that he typically wouldn’t, he also did have some assists taken off the board due to his teammates missing outside shots. If Orlando continues shrinking Cunningham’s passing windows, especially to Jalen Duren, it’s going to be tough for Cunningham to rack up the assists.
