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The Pistons head to Denver with a record of 19-40. Detroit is next to last in the Central Division and they are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference team standings. The Pistons are 2-8 SU in their last 10 games played and have dropped six consecutive assignments. The Nuggets are currently five games behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the race for the top spot in the Western Conference. Denver has won seven out of its last 10 games played and they are coming off a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Pistons Push Rebuild Button
The Detroit Pistons have pushed the rebuild button. After losing Blake Griffin to a season-ending injury, the Pistons traded franchise center Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers before the All-Star break. Then in the recent days, they bought out starters Markieff Morris and Reggie Jackson.
The Pistons are coming off a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night. Detroit’s bench scored a total of 70 points and was led by reserve big man Christian Wood who put up 26 points and 9 rebounds. Derrick Rose was the only starter in double digits as he scored 15 points. Brandon Knight and Langston Galloway put up double-digit scoring off the Pistons’ bench.
Detroit ranks 24th in the league in scoring at 107.9 points per game. They are 15th in passing at 24.0 assists per game and have the 4th worst rebounding average overall at 42.5 boards pulled down per contest. The Pistons are 17th in scoring defense at 110.8 points per game allowed this season.
Denver Is Healthy
After surviving a mid-season filled with injuries to its starters, the Denver Nuggets are healthy again. Except for rookie big man Bol Bol, head coach Mike Malone has every weapon on his roster at his disposal. The Nuggets have won seven out of their last 10 games played and they have the 2nd best record in the Western Conference behind the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nikola Jokic is averaging 27.3 points per game in February while Jamal Murray is putting up 26.4 during the same period. Paul Millsap, who missed 16 games due to injury, is coming off a game where he scored a season-high 25 points. With everyone healthy, Denver’s main problem right now is a good one and that is distributing minutes to every player.
The Nuggets have the 5th best scoring defense in the league at 106.9 points per game allowed. They are pulling down 44.6 rebounds per game and issuing an average of 26,4 assists per contest, 4th best in the league. Denver is ranked 18th in scoring at 110.6 points per game scored per game.
Who Wins?
Detroit is 0-6 SU in their last six games played. The Pistons are 0-4 SU in their last four games played on the road. Denver is 5-2 SU in their last seven games played. The Nuggets are 4-1 SU in their last five games played at home, and 10-4 SU in their last 14 games played in February. Head to head, the Pistons have won the last three meetings between these two teams. However, Denver is 9-1 SU in their last 10 home games against Detroit.
It has been a disappointing year in Detroit. Blake Griffin went out with a season-ending injury. They traded Andre Drummond and then bought out Markieff Morris and Reggie Jackson. Derrick Rose is their remaining key player and he has been in and out with injuries.
The Nuggets continue to chase the Lakers in the team standings. Denver has one of the most balanced teams in the league and is driven by a superstar unicorn in Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets have dealt with injuries to their starters but they have kept themselves afloat. Now that everyone’s healthy, Denver is looking to make a big run.
The Nuggets surely remember losing to the Pistons last February 2nd. Denver was dealing with injuries and a hectic schedule back then. That’s not the case this time around and with Detroit already waving the white flag, this is a game that the Nuggets should win. I’ll take the home team in this matchup.
Prediction: Denver Nuggets
Other Bets to Make
The Pistons are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games played. Detroit is 3-1 ATS in their last four games played on the road, 4-1 ATS in their last five games played against the Western Conference, and 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games played against the Northwest Division. The Nuggets are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played. Denver is 3-2 ATS in their last five games played at home, 2-7 ATS in their last nine games played against the Central Division. Head to head, the Pistons are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played against the Nuggets.
Pistons
+12.5 (-110)
Nuggets
-12.5 (-110)
Odds from SportsBetting as of 02/25/20
The Pistons are 2-8 ATS after scoring 100 points in their previous games. They are also 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games after an ATS win. The Nuggets are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games as home favorites. They are also 7-3 ATS in their last 20 games after an ATS loss. This is a big spread but Detroit is lacking the depth needed to keep pace with the Nuggets.
Prediction: Nuggets -12.5
The total has gone under in four out of the last six games played by Detroit. The under is 3-1 in the Pistons’ last four games played on the road. The total has gone over in four out of the last five games played by the Nuggets. The over is 6-1 in Denver’s last seven home games played. Head to head, the total has gone under in eight out of the last 11 games played between these two teams.
Over
215 (-108)
Under
215 (-112)
Odds from SportsBetting as of 02/25/20
I don’t expect a big scoring night from the Pistons who are without several top scorers and who will have to lean heavily on Derrick Rose for scoring. Detroit is going to have offensive problems against one of the best defenses in the league. Denver also plays a slow and methodical game so I think this will be played with more half-court offense. The Nuggets are going to put the clamps on the Pistons here.
Prediction: Under 125
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