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.
Nobody does it better when it comes to NBA Picks!
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.
Earn more by utilizing our sportsbook promo codes!
Sunday’s Top Plays
Today’s Top Plays
Scott Steehn – 8-2 NFL Totals Run – Snag Scott’s NFL Totals Best bet for just $29 – CLICK HERE
Stephen Nover – 10-3 NFL Run – Grab Stephen’s AFC Game Of the Year For Just $44 – CLICK HERE
David Hess- 8-3 NBA Best Bet Run – Snag David’s NBA Totals Dominator For Just $29 – CLICK HERE
Tom Macrina – 13-5 NFL Run – Grab Tom’s NFL Chalk Crusher For Just $29 – CLICK HERE
Will Rogers 8-2 CBB Totals Run – Snag Will’s Conference Total of The Year For Just $45 – CLICK HERE
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
Want a second opinion on this pick?
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
The Pistons have made recent moves to add more shooting, but still don’t have anyone quite as lethal as former Detroit guard Luke Kennard. On Saturday night, Kennard had a brilliant start to his postseason with 27 uber-efficient points for the Lakers in a win against the Rockets. His level of 3-point accuracy is something the Pistons have desperately been seeking all season long to bolster their offense.
Luke Kennard’s shooting makes him a dangerous playoff performer
Kennard was originally drafted to Detroit with the 17th pick of the 2017 Draft. The Pistons have plenty of draft regrets from that general era of team history, but picking Kennard has never been one of them. Despite any other weaknesses he may have, his strength as a shooter has always been enough to offset them.
In terms of pure 3-point percentage, Kennard is one of the best shooters in NBA history. He averages 44% behind the arc for his career, and shot a blistering 48% this season – the best mark in the league. Given his incredible track record, it’s not exactly a shocker to see him shoot 5-of-5 from three en route to 27 points in Game 1.
Not only is Kennard obviously an excellent standstill shooter, but he’s also a master of getting himself open with his movement. On Saturday night, he was able to play off LeBron James perfectly for a few easy looks. After that, he caught enough of a rhythm to create 3-point looks for himself, even in transition.
A player like Kennard is easily capable of turning an entire playoff game when he gets hot. In a close series, that one game where Kennard hits several threes can be all the difference his team needs to advance. If the Lakers do manage to win this series, even without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves, Kennard’s shooting will be a major reason why.
The Pistons could use someone like Kennard
Kennard would be a perfect marginal addition for the Pistons that only makes them better without taking anything away from the team. To be fair, the Pistons do have two shooters who have been hot recently in Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter. But having more than one respected shooter on the court at a time is often necessary to maintain a solid offense in today’s NBA.
Given the Pistons’ current lack of shooting, any additional shooters are welcome. And Kennard is understandably one of the most feared shooters in the league, capable of bending defenses just by the threat of him taking a three. Rolling him out on the Pistons would surely open up more lanes for Detroit’s stars to attack the paint and score easier points.
Follow
A Detroit woman was arrested in the aftermath of a hit-and-run collision and shooting on Interstate 94, Michigan State Police reported.
Emergency dispatchers were called shortly after midnight Saturday about the altercation. Troopers reported the caller said while they were driving eastbound on I-94, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a black Jeep sideswiped them and sped off.
The caller then decided to follow the Jeep.
In response, police said, the driver of the Jeep fired several gunshots in the caller’s direction.
None of the gunshots struck the vehicle.
Troopers were able to use license plate reader camera technology to locate the Jeep while it was on the Lodge Freeway, made a traffic stop. The driver and two passengers were taken into custody without incident.
The passengers were released shortly afterwards; troopers believe that the 19-year-old driver was the shooter. She has been lodged pending further review by the prosecutor’s office.
In addition, a firearm was recovered from the vehicle.
The above video originally aired on Aug. 19, 2025.
NBA playoffs best matchups
Breaking down the best first-round NBA playoff matchups.
Who is favored in the NBA playoffs odds for Game 1 between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic?
Here’s what you need to know about NBA playoff betting odds for the NBA game between the No. 8 seed Magic and No. 1 seed Pistons, which is being played on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
What is the point spread for the Pistons vs Magic game?
What is the moneyline for the Magic vs Pistons game?
What is the over/under (point total) for betting on the first-round NBA playoff matchup?
NBA playoffs odds: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | NBA championship odds | Game odds
Watch Magic at Pistons on Peacock
Magic vs Pistons odds: What is point spread?
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Detroit Pistons are an 8.5-point favorite over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series.
NBA playoffs Game 1 predictions, picks: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | The Republic’s score projections
Pistons vs Magic odds: What is moneyline?
BetMGM Sportsbook lists Detroit as -375 on the moneyline for the first-round NBA playoff game. It has Orlando at +290.
NBA playoffs series schedules, TV channels: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | Daily schedule | First-round matchups
Magic vs Pistons odds: What is over/under?
The point total for the opening game of the NBA playoffs series between the Pistons and Magic is listed at 218.5 points, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
NBA playoffs series picks, predictions: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | The Republic’s predictions | NBA playoff bracket
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today. Sign up for azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing.
-
Technology2 minutes agoThe future of local TV news has taken a Trumpian turn
-
World8 minutes agoPope Leo says remarks about world being ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants’ were not aimed at Trump: report
-
Politics14 minutes agoTrump renews bridge, power plant threat against Iran in push for deal, mocks ‘tough guy’ IRGC
-
Health20 minutes agoLoneliness may be silently eroding your memory, new research reveals
-
Sports26 minutes agoESPN’s Stephen A Smith hears boos from WrestleMania 42 crowd
-
Technology32 minutes agoChinese robot breaks human world record in Beijing half-marathon
-
Business38 minutes agoCivil case against Alec Baldwin, ‘Rust’ movie producers advances toward a trial
-
Entertainment44 minutes agoKarol G at Coachella was a global hit. Yet other foreign acts fear touring the U.S.