The Detroit Pistons (19-15) will have their hands full against the league’s top scoring defense when they challenge the San Antonio Spurs (25-11) at Little Caesars Arena. The game can be seen on Fox Sports – Detroit at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 30, 2017.
San Antonio opened as a 4.5-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 195.5 points.
San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons Free Prediction
In the Spurs’ last contest, they beat the New York Knicks, 119-107. One of San Antonio’s largest strengths was getting to the charity stripe. They made 39 trips to the line, while New York went just 22 times. Pau Gasol fueled San Antonio with 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
The Pistons fell to the Orlando Magic in their last contest, 102-89. One of Orlando’s largest advantages was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 17-17 (100.0 percent), while the Pistons were 10-14 (71.4 percent). Detroit’s Andre Drummond finished with 17 points, 18 rebounds and five assists in the contest.
Half-court execution will be critical when a pair of the league’s slowest-paced teams square off. Detroit ranks 22nd in possessions per game (97.5) and San Antonio is 29th (95.9).
San Antonio heads into the game with records of 25-11 straight up (SU) and 19-15-2 against the spread (ATS). Vegas tends to place the total high when the Spurs are involved, as 55.6 percent of their games have finished under the O/U total.
Meanwhile, Detroit owns records of 19-15 SU and 19-13-2 ATS. Pistons games also tend to finish under the total (58.8 percent).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, the Pistons lost 96-93 but covered as 3.5-point underdogs. Drummond had 11 points and 15 rebounds. The game finished with a total of 189 points, which was 11 points below the projected point total of 200 points. San Antonio had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (22.2 vs. 14.6). Detroit, meanwhile, had a much better turnover percentage (9.5 vs. 15.5).
San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons ATS Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Spurs, ATS Winner – Pistons, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
San Antonio is 6-10-1 ATS on the road with 12 unders, 4 overs and 1 push.
Detroit is 8-7-1 ATS at home with 8 overs and 8 unders.
In games where they hold opponents under 100 points, Detroit is 10-4 and San Antonio is 16-5.
In games where they score over 100 points, the Pistons are 17-4 and the Spurs are 18-1.
San Antonio ranks third in blocks per game (5.6) while Detroit ranks 28th (3.4).
The Spurs rank sixth in assists allowed per game (21.1) while the Pistons rank 25th (24.1).
Detroit ranks 15th in three pointers attempted per game (29.0) while San Antonio ranks 26th (24.2).
The Pistons rank second in fast break points allowed per game (8.3) while the Spurs rank 13th (10.9).
Detroit ranks fourth in points off turnovers allowed per game (14.7) while San Antonio ranks 12th (15.6).
The Pistons rank fourth in second chance points allowed per game (10.6) while the Spurs rank eighth (11.4).
San Antonio ranks 10th in rebounds per game (44.5) while Detroit ranks 13th in rebounds allowed per game (42.6).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, San Antonio is 4-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Detroit is 1-4 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Spurs’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 4.8, up from 3.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Pistons have scored an average of 101.4 points per game (1.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 101.2 points per game (0.4 below their season average).
