Rockets at Pistons: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks

Detroit enters with 13 straight losses and the NBA’s worst record, but they are still slight favorites (-1.5) over the short-handed Rockets.

The Houston Rockets will start a five-game road trip with Saturday’s early game in Detroit, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ve got the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet at Tipico Sportsbook.

The game tips off at 11:00 a.m. CST and can be viewed or streamed via AT&T SportsNet Southwest and NBA League Pass.

The Rockets (9-20) enter with widespread injuries and losses in four of their last five games. But the good news is that on paper, Detroit (4-23) gives them an opportunity to break out of the funk. The Pistons have the NBA’s worst record and enter with 13 consecutive defeats.

Then again, one of those four Detroit wins came against the Rockets on Nov. 10 in Houston. That game was billed as a showdown between rookies Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick from the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft, and Jalen Green, the No. 2 selection. While Green was Houston’s leading scorer in that game, Saturday won’t be a rematch — since Green remains sidelined with a left hamstring strain.

But even with Green out, the Rockets have generally improved their play since that first meeting, as evidenced by the seven-game winning streak earlier this month. Moreover, they expect to have big man Christian Wood back in the lineup after missing two games with left knee tendinitis. For Wood, it will be his first time to play in Detroit since leaving the Pistons to sign with the Rockets following the 2019-20 season.

Rockets at Pistons notable injuries:

The Pistons are much more injured than they were in their Nov. 10 victory at Houston, since Jerami Grant — who scored a game-high 35 points at Toyota Center — is out for some time with a right thumb sprain. Former Rockets big man Kelly Olynyk is also out with a left knee sprain.

By comparison, Houston has more injuries in volume. The updated list for Saturday shows Green and Kevin Porter Jr. (left thigh contusion) as out, while Wood and Armoni Brooks (left ankle soreness) are questionable. Head coach Stephen Silas said Thursday that Wood should play.

Projected Lineups

The lines, courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook

  • Point spread: Pistons -1.5
  • Money line: Pistons -125 / Rockets +100
  • Over-under: TBD

Click here to place your bets at Tipico Sportsbook.

Advice and prediction

Excluding Wednesday’s extremely short-handed blowout at Cleveland on the front end of a split back-to-back, the Rockets continue to be quite competitive these days, even during this relative down period following the seven-game winning streak that concluded nine days ago.

Meanwhile, the Pistons have lost their last seven games by an average margin of 11.4 points per game. Assuming Wood plays, as Silas predicted, this feels like a prime “get right” opportunity. Detroit being favored likely reflects the implied uncertainty over Wood in the injury report, but all indications from Houston are that he is likely to be available.

Prediction: Rockets 109, Pistons 105

This post originally appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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