The Toronto Raptors (29-13) meet the Detroit Pistons (22-20) at Air Canada Centre. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, and will air on Fox Sports – Detroit.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 213 points with Toronto opening as an 8.5-point favorite.
Detroit Pistons at Toronto Raptors Betting Prediction
The Pistons are trying to rebound after their 118-107 loss to the Charlotte Hornets in their last contest. Charlotte’s rebounding was their largest strength. The Hornets had nine offensive rebounds and 49 total rebounds, while the Pistons had three and 38, respectively. Detroit’s Ish Smith put together a solid outing, finishing with 19 points and 10 assists.
In the Raptors’ last matchup, they fell to the Philadelphia 76ers, 117-111. Philadelphia made good use of their 38 trips to the free throw line, making 31 of them (81.6 percent). Toronto, meanwhile, was 26-30 (86.7 percent). Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan put together a good game, leading the team in scoring with 24 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
Based on historical performance heading into this one, ball protection could play an integral role in this battle. Toronto commits the fourth-fewest miscues in the NBA (turnover percentage of 12.8 percent), while the gambling defense of Detroit forces the fifth-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 15.4 percent).
Detroit comes into the game with records of 22-20 straight up (SU) and 23-17-2 against the spread (ATS). Games featuring the Pistons tend to go under the projected point total (57.1 percent).
Meanwhile, Toronto is 29-13 SU and 24-18 ATS. Unlike Detroit, Raptors games have gone over the O/U total 54.8 percent of the time.
Avery Bradley has averaged 15.8 points and 3.2 assists over the last five games for Detroit.
After the Raptors won three out of four meetings against the Pistons last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last matchup, Toronto won 105-102. The Raptors’ turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over the Pistons. Toronto had a rate of 10.5, while Detroit posted a mark of 13.6.
Detroit Pistons vs. Toronto Raptors Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Raptors, ATS Winner – Pistons, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Detroit is 13-9-1 ATS with 14 unders, 8 overs and 1 push.
Toronto is 11-7 ATS at home with 10 overs and 8 unders.
Detroit and Toronto are both 12-4 when they hold opponents under 100 points.
When reaching 100 points, the Pistons are 19-8 and the Raptors are 28-7.
Toronto ranks second in blocks per game (5.9) while Detroit ranks last (3.5).
The Pistons rank second in fast break points allowed per game (8.4) while the Raptors rank 23rd (12.6).
Detroit ranks third in second chance points allowed per game (10.3) while Toronto ranks 21st (13.1).
The Raptors average 22.8 assists per game, which ranks 11th in the league. The Pistons rank 26th in assists allowed per game (24.3).
Toronto ranks third in points in the paint per game (48.9) while Detroit ranks 17th (43.0).
The Raptors rank fifth in three pointers attempted per game (32.0) while the Pistons rank 18th (28.3).
Toronto ranks first in points off turnovers per game (19.3) while Detroit ranks 10th (17.4).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Detroit is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Toronto is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Pistons’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.0, up from 0.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the Raptors have scored an average of 114.4 points per game (2.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 109.2 points per game (4.6 above their season average).
