The New Orleans Pelicans (25-48) and Detroit Pistons (52-20) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The game will broadcast live on FDSDET.
The Pistons are 4.5-point favorites over the Pelicans on the spread (Pistons -4.5), with the over/under set at 226.5 total points. Detroit is a -200 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while New Orleans is +165 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Pelicans vs. Pistons predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, March 26.
Pelicans vs Pistons Prediction, Pick
- Pelicans vs Pistons pick: Pelicans +4.5 (-115)
My Pistons vs. Pelicans best bet is on New Orleans to cover the spread. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Pelicans vs Pistons Odds
| Pelicans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -115 | 226.5 -105o / -115u | +165 |
| Pistons Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -105 | 226.5 -105o / -115u | -200 |
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Pelicans vs Pistons NBA Preview
The Pistons suffered their first setback since their leading scorer, Cade Cunningham, was diagnosed with a collapsed lung.
After trailing by as many as 21 points, Detroit used a 40-point fourth quarter to help force overtime before falling just short to Atlanta in a 130-129 defeat.
Detroit's loss, coupled with Boston's victory over the Thunder, means the Pistons' lead in the Eastern Conference is now down to four games — and with Cunningham not expected back for possibly another two weeks, Detroit can't afford too many more setbacks.
The good news for Pistons fans is their team is 8-3 overall without Cunningham in the lineup. According to StatMuse, they have leaned on their other All-Star, Jalen Duren, while their point guard is sidelined.
Duren has averaged 23.0 points and 12.3 rebounds in games without Cunningham, which are up from his season average of 19.2 points and 10.5 boards.
Action PRO projects him for 23.4 points and 10.7 rebounds tonight, a combined 34.1 PR.
Thursday's matchup will be the second and final meeting between these teams this season. Interestingly enough, when the two teams last met in January, Cunningham's absence still wasn't enough for the Pelicans to avoid a 112-104 defeat.
However, New Orleans was also somewhat shorthanded as Zion Williamson, who was questionable with an illness, played only 15 minutes before departing to the locker room in the early third quarter.
According to Cleaning the Glass, Williamson's presence alone on the floor improves New Orleans by 4.1 points per 100 possessions.
While this season has been a disaster for the Pelicans, considering their 25-48 record, they're actually the third-most profitable team against the spread (ATS) at 43-29-1 (59.7%). Moreover, they are on a 10-6 run straight up in their last 16 games.
Although New Orleans enters this game off back-to-back losses, both defeats were by a relatively slim margin of five points.
The Pelicans could have easily been making summer plans, but they seem intent on finishing the season on a strong note. As a result, catching five points against Detroit feels like an optimal spot to back the Pelicans.
Pelicans vs Pistons Predictions, Betting Analysis
Detroit is a fascinating team because, despite having the best record (52-20) in the East, the Pistons are only 36-36 ATS — and when they are favored, they have been even worse against the number, as evidenced by a 25-34 mark.
Those numbers require a bit more evaluation, and if we dig a bit deeper, we'll find that Detroit is just 6-16 (27.3%) ATS as a favorite laying five or fewer points.
It's worth noting that the Pelicans will have a one-day rest advantage against a Detroit team that will take the court just 24 hours after playing an extra five minutes of overtime.
New Orleans is 10-4 ATS this season in games with a rest advantage over its opponents.
Lastly, it wouldn't surprise me if there's a bit of memory recall for teams that suffer such narrow defeats in recent games like the Pelicans.
This season, underdogs catching five or fewer points coming off back-to-back losses of no more than five points are 5-1 against the spread.
Given those numbers, there's ample evidence that the Pelicans can do enough to keep this game within a few possessions.
Pick: Pelicans +4.5 (-115, BetMGM)
Spread
My Pelicans vs. Pistons betting prediction is on New Orleans to cover the spread.
Moneyline
I have no play on the moneyline tonight.
Over/Under
I'm not interested in the total for this game.
