After a full day off on Tuesday, the NBA roars back to life on Wednesday, and we’re treated to a heavyweight fight in the early window. The 76ers and the Pistons hold the two best records in the East and will meet in Motor City for a titanic clash. Detroit handed Philadelphia their only loss of the season on October 25th, and will hope to do the same this time around. Will Cade and the Pistons hold firm on home court? Or will LeBron and the star-studded Sixers walk out with a win?
The Pistons enter as 2.5-point home favorites, with the game total set at 217.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s my prediction and best bet for this Eastern Conference matchup.
76ers vs. Pistons Preview
Surprisingly, the Sixers have built the house on defense so far. They’re third in defensive rating, according to Cleaning the Glass, and this lineup’s size has worked like a charm. They’ve been elite at forcing turnovers and tough shots, which is an excellent formula if they can keep it up. Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid are putting in strong defensive efforts alongside their star scoring, and the Sixers look dangerous early. There’s just not much you can do when they are hitting shots like this:
Detroit, as usual, leads the way on defense. Last season, they finished third in defensive rating, first in opponent eFG%, and first in opponent turnover rate. This season, they’re ranked first, first, and third in those categories, respectively. Ausar Thompson gets all the plaudits for his defense, but Javonte Green, Daniss Jenkins, and Paul Reed are also contributing excellently, with Reed admirably stepping into the starting role in Jalen Duren’s absence. With the offense hovering around a top-ten pace thanks to Cade Cunningham’s excellence, they’re looking like a potential contender again.
This matchup starts in the frontcourt with the battle between Embiid and Reed. Detroit has no problem letting Reed run all over the floor, bothering any skilled big. He’ll be comfortable getting out on the perimeter and bothering Embiid’s dribble-handoff game, which can make life hard for Philly’s perimeter players. As if it wasn’t hard enough with Ausar Thompson hounding them around the court.
LeBron James is a real X-factor here for many reasons. His passing is critical to breaking down this elite Detroit defense, and their shooters will rely on him to find the gaps. If he can, they’ll find the low-effort offense needed against such a physical opponent. He’s sure to see his fair share of Ausar defensively, and if he can take Detroit’s most important defender off the map, the Sixers can walk out with a win.
Of course, Cade Cunningham bears watching. The Pistons’ superstar has been pacing their offense extremely well and looked incredible during their last game against the Hornets. Cunningham looked like the kind of player who can win an MVP with performances like this:
Good luck to Philly’s defense trying to stop him from getting into the paint.
76ers vs. Pistons Pick, Best Bet
I’m counting on the defenses to buckle down for this matchup. Both teams got a full rest day yesterday and will bring everything they’ve got to this matchup. I love the under here; we’re going to be treated to a serious slugfest.
