The Miami Heat visit The Palace of Auburn Hills to take on the Detroit Pistons. The game gets underway at 7:30 pm ET on Saturday, Apr. 4 and will air on Sun Sports and FSN-DET.
The Pistons got blown out by the Hornets 102-78 on Wednesday. Joel Anthony had a good game for Detroit, finishing with six points, seven rebounds, and four blocks. The Heat, meanwhile, are coming off a demoralizing 114-88 loss at the hands of the Cavaliers on Thursday. Hassan Whiteside had a team-high 17 points.
Over the last five games, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson have played well for the Pistons. During that stretch, Drummond has averaged 20.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks. Not to be outdone, Jackson has put up 21.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 9.4 assists, and 1.8 three-pointers.
The two teams have split their matchups this season. The Heat had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 109-102 win. In the loss, Drummond had a double-double with 32 points and 14 rebounds.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Pistons enter the game with records of 29-46 Straight Up (SU) and 37-38 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 7-3 ATS over their last 10 games. The Pistons have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the fourth-ranked rebounding team in the NBA, averaging 45.2 per game, while the Heat rank 30th in the league with 38.8 per game.
On the other side, Miami has a SU record of 34-41 and an ATS record of 34-38-3. In Eastern Conference games, Miami has gone 22-23 SU and 22-21-2 ATS. Miami’s defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking third in the NBA with only 97.0 points allowed per game.
Following the Heat’s latest win over Detroit, their SU record against the Pistons moves to 7-3 over the last 10 meetings. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Miami held the edge in all three of these categories three times in the last 10 meetings. Detroit did so twice.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, ATS Winner – DET
Notes
On average, Miami puts up 94.5 points per game (ranked 28th), while Detroit allows 99.7 points per game (ranked 15th).
Miami scores an average of 92.2 points per away game (ranked 29th), while Detroit allows 101.1 points per home game (ranked 22nd).
In contests where it has given up fewer than 100 points, Detroit has a 22-16 record. When Miami puts up fewer than 100, it is a poor 13-34.
The Detroit Pistons have a subpar 7-30 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Miami Heat are 21-7 when they hit triple digits.
The Heat have a defensive rating of 104.0 (ranked 21st). The Pistons rank 16th for their offensive rating of 102.0.
The Detroit Pistons average 96.3 possessions and 1.020 points per possession in games this season. The Miami Heat average fewer possessions with 93.3, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.012.
Detroit has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.6%. Miami is a subpar 15-34 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Detroit makes an average of 21.5 assists per game (ranked 17th), while Miami makes 20.0 assists per game (ranked 29th).
Detroit makes an average of 4.6 blocks per game (ranked 15th), while Miami makes 4.3 blocks per game (ranked 23rd).
The Detroit Pistons are the top offensive rebounding team in the league. The Miami Heat rank 28th in defensive rebounding.
Miami averages 8.1 steals per game, ranking 10th in the league. Detroit is a losing 12-24 when it gives up at least 8 steals.
