The 25-28 Hornets will be hosting the 38-13 Pistons tonight. The Hornets have ripped off seven straight wins to turn their season around; they’re now in Play-In range. The Pistons remain atop the East with an incredible 74.5% win percentage and will look to topple this Hornets’ win streak.
The Pistons are currently –148 favorites on the Moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the point total set to 222.5. Below, I’ll break down tonight’s matchup and offer my prediction.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Detroit Pistons preview, prediction
The Hornets have won nine straight, and in their last ten games they’re posting an incredible 107.2 DEFRTG, which would be second in the league if they held that up all season long. In the same span, their OFFRTG sits at a cushy 118.2, which would rank them fourth in the league if they held that up all season long. There’s no denying that the Hornets have been an elite team in this latest stretch, and their play has pushed them into Play-In territory. Perhaps most impressively, this latest ten-game stretch doesn’t even feature a heavy lift from their best player, LaMelo Ball. Ball’s only averaging a disappointing 16.6 PPG on 36.8% shooting over their last ten. But standout rookie Kon Knueppel has been impressive, putting up 18.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG over his last 10 games while connecting on 47.7% of his shots. Perhaps the most interesting factor behind the Hornets’ resurgence has been their ability to dominate the glass. Charlotte’s pulling down 48.6 RPG and 13.3 OREB during this stretch, and is leading the league with 47.9 ORPG on the season. In the last ten games, the Hornets have been doubling down on limiting ORPG, and are limiting opponents to 37.7, an unbelievable mark.
The Detroit Pistons are continuing their campaign as the best team in the East. After years of mediocrity, even in Cade Cunningham’s tenure, the Pistons have flipped things around through player development and sharp roster building. They now boast two All-Stars on their roster, and they look primed to make a serious playoff run. Their acquisition of Duncan Robinson has been a welcome supplement to this team, with his 40.1% shooting from three nullifying the negative spacing of starting forward Ausar Thompson, whose defensive contributions are valuable even if his offense isn’t. Robinson’s an easy target for Cunningham to target on the perimeter.
Hornets vs. Pistons pick, best bet
Best bet: Jalen Duren Under 9.5 Rebounds
Due to Charlotte’s season-long proclivity for limiting opponent rebounds, as well as their heightened recent form in the same department, I can see Duren struggling on the glass tonight. He’s listed as Probable so he should suit up, but Charlotte presents a tough challenge tonight on the glass, even if Duren’s one of the NBA’s best rebounders.
