On Thursday, 03/13, the Detroit Pistons (37-29) will host the Washington Wizards (13-51) in an Eastern Conference Regular-Season match-up. The Pistons have strengthened the grip at the sixth spot and have a chance to enter the top-four, whereas the Wizards have been dead last throughout the season. Will the Pistons be able to stamp another blowout victory here? Read about the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
Pistons: A dream season
The Pistons will enter the affair after a 20-point win against the Washington Wizards behind a 27-point performance by Cade Cunningham. It was their second straight win, helping them erase the hurt of a two-game losing streak. The squad has been on fire since the second week of February, acquiring a stellar 12-3 record since then. During that period, they notched 121.9 points per game(3rd) on an excellent 50.3% shooting clip(2nd). It indicates that the young trio of Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren has meshed brilliantly with the veteran trio of Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Tobias Harris. Detroit has shown the rebuilding squads a template, but landing a talent like Cunningham is rare to make things work. Currently, they will be keen on clinching a top-four spot as they are on equal footing with fourth-ranked Milwaukee Bucks and fifth-ranked Indiana Pacers.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG/SG: Cade Cunningham | SG: Tim Hardaway Jr. | SF: Ausar Thompson | PF: Tobias Harris | C: Jalen Duren
Key Injuries/Updates: Jaden Ivey is OUT for the game.
Wizards: A season to forget but can frame a much-needed script
The Washington Wizards will come into this game after a 20-point loss against the Pistons, despite a 16-point performance by Marcus Smart. This was their second-straight loss, but the team has a decent 7-10 record after an abysmal 6-41 midseason start. It is clear their priorities lie in the 2025 draft rather than winning this season. They will be desperate to land Cooper Flagg, the generational talent who can single-handedly help transform the fortunes of a franchise that hasn’t been elite for more than four decades. As of now, the team may think of keeping Jordan Poole, Bilal Coulibaly, and Alex Sarr as the core, but they may need a different set of players to compete at the high level.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG/SG: Jordan Poole | SG: Bilal Coulibaly | SF: Khris Middleton | SF: Kyshawn George | C: Alex Sarr
Key Injuries/Updates: Saddiq Bey is OUT for the season.
The Pistons have scored 115 or more in six of the last seven games, meanwhile, they have also regularly given up 115+ points in the same window. On the other hand, the Wizards are highly inconsistent offensively and scored just 103 in their last game against Detroit and have regularly scored below the mark. Defensively, they regularly give up 120+, especially against top-notch offensive teams like Detroit. Overall, I see this game crossing the overall total of 223 in the last game. At the same time, I don’t see it getting past 235 either, a range where bookmakers have allotted almost equal odds.
Projected Predictions:
Cade Cunningham to score over 28.5 points: The Detroit guard has scored 27 or more in five straight games. I expect him to continue the trend and figure in the 29-34 points range.
Jalen Duren to grab over 12.5 rebounds: The Pistons center has clasp 12 or more rebounds in four of the last five games. I expect him to clean up a lot of misses and hit the 13-rebound mark like the last game.
Jordan Poole to score over 22.5 points: The Wizards guard has tallied 21.1 PPG but has scored fewer than 17 points in the last two games. However, I believe he will be in the 23-27 points range.
Richuan Holmes to score over 11.5 points: The back-up center has averaged around 12 PPG in the last seven games. I believe he will be in 13-15 points range.
The Pistons gave the Wizards a thorough beatdown in their last meeting, which was widely expected. However, Washington may come up with a better effort after making a few adjustments. But will these adjustments be enough? I doubt so. I feel the Pistons will win by at least 12 points here.
Safe Spread Pick: Pistons -14.5 for -102 at BetMGM
Photo Credit: Lon Horwedel- Imagn Images
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