Detroit, MI
Detroit Pistons vs. Houston Rockets Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 1-1-2024
The Detroit Pistons (3-29, 13-19 ATS, 20-12 O/U) take on the Houston Rockets (15-15, 18-11-1 ATS, 12-18 O/U) in an inter-conference bout on Monday night. The Pistons ended the losing streak with a home win against the Raptors on Saturday. The Rockets were hit with a home loss by the 76ers in their previous bout. The Rockets went 2-0 against the Pistons last season.
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Pistons End Losing Streak
The Detroit Pistons have ended the slide. The squad finally put an end to the historic losing streak of 29 consecutive games. They have been involved in some close decisions recently. Detroit had a 15-point lead ahead of the Nets last week but ended up losing that one by six points. On Thursday, they were 17-point dogs in a 128-122 overtime road loss to the Celtics. They were four-point dogs in a 129-127 home win against the Raptors on Saturday. The Pistons have covered in three of their last five bouts.
Cade Cunningham continues to produce. The 22-year-old point guard has scored at least 28 points in four of his last five games including 31 points against the Celtics. He is averaging a solid 23.5 PPG on the season. Bojan Bogdanovic continues to be inconsistent, shooting below 40% in three of his last five games. The 34-year-old small forward scored 19 points on Saturday and has recorded an average of 19.6 PPG. Ausar Thompson has not been receiving a lot of playing time which comes as a bit of a surprise. The rookie forward has scored double-digits just twice this month due to his playing time. He is averaging 9.2 PPG and 7.3 RPG.
Cade finds Kevin at the rim…#DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/lZDtKzwakx
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) December 31, 2023
The Pistons last road win occurred in late October against the Hornets. They have covered the spread in two of their last five road bouts, occurring against the Nets and Celtics. Detroit is scoring an average of 110.3 points, ranking them 27th. The defense continues to be exploited. They are conceding an average of 121.2 points, placing them 25th.
Rockets Dealt Another Defeat
The Houston Rockets continue a long homestand. Houston has been shaky recently. They have dropped three consecutive games due primarily to poor defense. The squad was a three-point dog in a 129-113 home loss to the Suns on Wednesday and was a 1.5-point dog in a 131-127 home loss against the 76ers on Friday. They have dipped to 10th in the conference. The Rockets have covered in just two of their last five clashes.
Alperen Sengun continues to shine, collecting at least 24 points in four consecutive games. The 21-year-old center netted 28 points on Friday and is having an outstanding year, sporting an average of 21.1 PPG and 9.2 RPG on the season. Fred VanVleet has shot below 40% in four of his last five bouts. The veteran point guard is posting an average of 17.4 PPG and 8.5 APG. Jalen Green scored 23 points against the Suns and 31 points on Friday. The 21-year-old shooting guard struggled for a good portion of December and is now averaging 17.4 PPG on 40.5% shooting.
patience is a virtue 😌@JalenGreen | @alperennsengun pic.twitter.com/o0fuQY1B3c
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 30, 2023
The Rockets have been inconsistent at home, dropping three straight home clashes to dip to 1-4 in their last five home games, covering the spread just once in that span. Houston is scoring an average of 112.3 points on the season, marking them 23rd. They are holding opponents to 109.8 points, good for second.
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Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
Rating:
The Detroit Pistons are playing hard and have finally won a game. They led the Nets by double digits in a narrow loss on Tuesday and took the potent Celtics to overtime on Thursday night before winning on Saturday. The Houston Rockets are stumbling. They have only won two of their last eight games.
Furthermore, Detroit has been decent in the offensive end. They are only averaging five fewer points per 100 possessions than the Rockets. The Rockets’ defense is usually a strength but has not been as sharp recently, conceding 123 or more points in three straight games. Detroit has averaged a decent 117.8 points in its last five games.
Prediction: Detroit Pistons +7.5
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Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
Rating:
I expect plenty of scoring. The Pistons are weak defensively and rarely keep opponents in check. They have squandered at least 124 points in eight of their last ten games. They also rank 7th in pace which leads to more points given up.
In addition, the Rockets are generating points, netting at least 119 points in five of their last eight games. As mentioned, the Rockets’ defense has not been nearly as sharp, especially at home. They have allowed at least 123 points in four of their last five home games. The over is a convincing 4-0 in the Pistons last four games.
Prediction: Over 226.5