NBA: Houston Rockets vs. Detroit Pistons Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Houston Rockets visit the Detroit Pistons in a match that will bring together the top two picks from this year’s NBA draft. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green face one another in an interesting matchup between two crews who are sitting at the bottom of their respective conferences. The Rockets had one burst that saw them putting up a respectable winning streak, while on the other hand, the Pistons didn’t show anything similar. We are excited to see Cunningham and Green, which is the main reason why we decided to cover this game in the first place.

Preview

Houston Rockets (9-20, +110) come to Michigan following a loss at home on Friday, when Knicks went back home to NY with a W in the bag, 116-103. It was the second straight for the franchise from Texas and the fourth in the past five. Previously, the Rockets had seven triumphs in a row, which was a first-class sensation at the time.

Even though we mentioned Green in the opening paragraph, the guy who intrigues us the most is Alperen Sengun. He averages 9.2 points and 4.7 points per game, and still isn’t consistent, but do know that this guy has the potential to be not only an All-Star but an All-NBA at one point. Remember what we said here.

The talks about John Wall’s return stopped, and the fans deflated a little bit. They (and we) hoped to see one of the best point guards in the league back on the court. His presence would make Houston much better, no doubt about that.

Detroit Pistons (4-23, -105) are the worst team in the East and possibly the league. The unit from Motor City has 13 straight losses, and we can say right away that Cade Cunningham didn’t have the impact on the team as expected. As time goes by, we think that he needs to have a better environment to truly develop the skills.

So far, he averages 15.9 points, 6.2 boards, and 4.5 assists. We notice that his shooting percentages are slowly heading up, especially for three points. Over the recent 10 events, Cunningham shot 42.4% from downtown.

He had 19 buckets against the Pacers in Indianapolis the other night. His Pistons lost 122-113, with Saddiq Bay dropping 28 points with 10 boards and five assists, while Frank Jackson scored 18 off the bench.

Head to Head Games

The Pistons and the Rockets already met once this season. That game took place in Houston, and the guests from Detroit ended up on the winning side, 112-104. Jerami Grant scored 35 for the winners; Cunningham had 20 while Bay ended the night with 16. Green had a team-high for the hosts, 23 buckets, Christian Wood followed him with 20.

Prediction

Houston is playing much better than before, and unlike the Pistons, they have improved over time. Detroit is still relying upon the individual quality of the players. At the same time, on the other side, the Rockets showed the capability to act as a team and win matches using teamwork. That is why we suggest betting on the guests. The odds on their win are +110.

Pick: Houston wins +110