NBA: Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics Preview, Odds, Head to Head, Prediction

The rivalry between the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics has been epic. Even though they aren’t in a position like some two or three decades ago, the meeting of these two units is always interesting and attracts attention. Detroit is one of the worst teams in the league right now, but they have been mauled by injuries throughout the year, and overall, they are still making the team for the future. Meanwhile, the Cs are attacking the title and need to play less than 24 hours since losing to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Preview

Detroit Pistons (15-43, +550) won just one game in the past five, against the San Antonio Spurs after OT in Michigan. The Pistons are using this year to clear all of Cade Cunningham’s injuries and see whether are some interesting players on their roster which could be used in the following seasons.

They had an exhausting game in Toronto a couple of nights ago, losing to the Canadian franchise following a bitter battle in the finish, 119-118. Detroit was looking very competitive and good in that event, with Bojan Bogdanovic scoring 33 points. 

Alec Burks came off the bench to score 21, and Hamidou Diallo scored 18 also off the bench. The Pistons had problems securing the glass, recording just 32 boards, while Raptors had 40.

Boston Celtics (41-17) lost after four straight, and they did that on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks. The game went through overtime before Bucks broke the visitors, and the final result was 131-125.

Boston appeared without Marcus Smart, Jaylen Frown, and Jayson Tatum, but even so, the Cs were excellent. All of its starters had a double-digit number of points, while Malcolm Brogdon came off the bench to score 26 buckets in 39 minutes. This was a perfect test for the Cs’ second unit, and nonstarters and Joe Mazzulla left Fiserv Dorum satisfied despite the loss. Even though three top players didn’t play, Boston was equal to one of the East’s best teams. 

Derrick White scored 27 buckets with 12 assists, and Mike Muscala ended the night with 18. Blake Griffin and Sam Hauser ended the night with 15 points each, while Grant Williams had a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. 

Head to Head Games

This will be the fourth meeting between the Pistons and the Celtics. The Celtics were better on all three occasions, the first in TD Garden, 128-112; after that, they were better than the Pistons in Detroit, 117-108 and 111-99. That last meeting occurred some seven days ago. Tatum had 34 for the Cs, and White 23. Bogdanovic scored 21 for the Pistons, a team-high. 

Prediction

The spread is -10 on the Celtics, and we sincerely believe that the team from Boston won’t have any trouble covering it. It’s quite possible to see some of the stars back in the lineup, and even without them, the Cs are massive favorites against the weak Pistons. The franchise from Detroit is struggling to find its rhythm on the road, and most of their games away from Michigan end with a blowout. It seems that the same destiny awaits them at the TD Garden.

Pick: Boston Celtics -10 -110