The Detroit Pistons (4-16) travel to Moda Center Tuesday to take on the Portland Trail Blazers (10-11). Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Pistons vs. Trail Blazers odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Led by No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and star forward Jerami Grant, the Pistons have gone 10-10 against the spread (ATS).
Cunningham has stepped his game up lately, and the Pistons as a whole have improved their shooting. They rank 28th in offensive rating and 22nd in defensive rating.
They’ll be taking on the Blazers, a team that’s struggling to cover the spread. Portland has been overrated by the public which has led to an 8-12-1 ATS record.
Damian Lillard is having one of the worst seasons of his career by efficiency standards. CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic both play large roles for this team, one currently sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference.
Pistons at Trail Blazers odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:57 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Pistons +360 (bet $100 to win $360) | Trail Blazers -500 (bet $500 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Pistons +9.5 (-115) | Trail Blazers -9.5 (-107)
- Over/Under (O/U): 215.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
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Pistons at Trail Blazers key injuries
Pistons
- F Kelly Olynyk (knee) out
Trail Blazers
- SG Norman Powell (quadriceps) questionable
Pistons at Trail Blazers odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Trail Blazers 110, Pistons 107
Money line
PASS on the money line although the Pistons at +360 is intriguing, to say the least. I’d still look towards the points for value though.
Against the spread
BET on the PISTONS +9.5 (-115) as the Pistons have been underrated by the market all season, which is one reason for their solid ATS record.
The Pistons have the 29th-best net rating in the league, but the Blazers haven’t been that much better, 20th overall, so the difference isn’t as wide as their record indicates.
The Pistons have been so bad because of their second-worst true shooting percentage. However, the Blazers allow the second-worst field goal shooting, meaning the Pistons should get good looks.
Although I expect a Blazers win, their poor defending should allow the Pistons open looks and, because of that, a close game.
Over/Under
“LEAN” to the OVER 215.5 (-115) as both teams don’t know how to defend. On the season, the Blazers and Pistons respectively rank 29th and 30th in opponents’ field goal shooting.
While both are in the middle of the pack in terms of pace, the open looks should generate enough points. Neither team turns the ball over a ton nor relies on offensive boards for their offensive scoring.
The open looks should be enough to get each side the points they need. Given how the teams score and how they defend, I’d lean the Over.
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