Pistons vs. 76ers Pick
Are the host Philadelphia 76ers going to post their third victory of the season over the Detroit Pistons tonight when the two teams meet at 7PM ET?
Who Oddsmakers Like: According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the 76ers are listed as a 6-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 210 points. The spread has not moved after opening at -6, but the total has increased from 209 points.
Who the Public Likes: As of Friday morning, 67 percent of public bets have been placed on the visiting Pistons.
Injury Report: Prior to Detroit’s 111-104 loss at Miami its last game, center Andre Drummond hadn’t been listed on the injury reports by the team throughout the day until he was announced as out in the hour before tip time. That can always be frustrating for bettors when a player they were counting on turns out to be inactive. Drummond is questionable tonight with his rib contusion. Stanley Johnson is doubtful with a strained hip. Reggie Jackson is out with a Grade 3 ankle sprain for at least another month. Jon Leuer is also out until mid-January with a sprained ankle. For the Sixers, Justin Anderson has been out with a shin injury and is questionable to return tonight. Markelle Fultz is out until at least mid-January with a shoulder injury.
Who the Trends Like: Detroit is 0-4 ATS in its last four games against a team with a losing straight up record. The under is 4-1 in the last five meetings. The over is 4-0 in the last four Philadelphia games following a straight up win.
Who We Like: Drummond’s availability will be of the utmost importance to the Pistons. I suspect he plays as he is motivated to once again do battle with Philly center Joel Embiid, with whom he’s shared a war of words with this season. The 76ers have won both previous meetings, 97-86 in Detroit and 108-103 in Philadelphia. I think the Pistons keep it close tonight, especially if Drummond plays. While the Sixers have won three in a row, their last win over the Spurs was against a San Antonio team resting key players including Kawhi Leonard. It’s still a young team vulnerable to poor stretches of play. Take the visitors here.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: DETROIT PISTONS +6
http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/det/detroit-pistons