The Houston Rockets (57-14) put their six-game winning streak on the line when they clash against the Detroit Pistons (32-39) at Toyota Center. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 22, 2018, and will air on ATTSN Southwest.
Detroit Pistons at Houston Rockets Betting Prediction
In the Pistons’ last matchup, they thoroughly outplayed the Phoenix Suns, 115-88. The Pistons forced 19 turnovers and held the Suns to an effective field goal percentage of 0.417 (below their season average of 0.494). Detroit was lifted by Blake Griffin, who was the top scorer from either team with 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting.
The Rockets beat the Portland Trail Blazers in their last outing, 115-111. Houston’s effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over Portland. The Rockets had a rate of 0.601 (above their season average of 0.555), while the Trail Blazers posted a mark of 0.562. James Harden was the game’s high scorer with 42 points on 13-for-25 shooting.
Houston should have the advantage on the offensive side of the ball. The Rockets currently rank first in offensive efficiency, while the Pistons rank 11th in defensive efficiency. Moreover, the Pistons, who rank 28th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.170), will go head-to-head against the Rockets, who rank fifth in opponents’ FTA rate (0.175).
Detroit heads into the contest with records of 32-39 straight up (SU) and 32-37-2 against the spread (ATS). Of the Pistons’ 71 games, 40 have finished under the projected point total.
Meanwhile, Houston owns records of 57-14 SU and 37-32-2 ATS. Similarly to Detroit, Rockets games have a slight tendency to finish under the total (53.5 percent).
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Tobias Harris scored a game-high 27 points and the Pistons, who were 6.5-point underdogs, defeated the Rockets 108-101. He also recorded eight rebounds. The game finished with a total of 209 points, which was just 3.5 points below the projected point total of 212.5 points. The Pistons knocked down 20 of their 27 free throws (74.1 percent) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.587 vs. 0.506).
Detroit Pistons at Houston Rockets Odds Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Pistons, ATS Winner – Pistons, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Detroit is 17-18-1 ATS on the road with 22 unders, 13 overs and 1 push.
Houston is 13-19-1 ATS at home with 17 overs and 16 unders.
In games where they allow less than 100 points, Houston is 26-2 and Detroit is 18-6.
When scoring over 100 points, the Rockets are 55-11 and the Pistons are 28-17.
Houston averages 42.0 three pointers per game, which ranks first in the NBA. Detroit ranks 21st in three pointers allowed per game (30.1).
The Pistons rank ninth in points allowed in the paint per game (43.1) while the Rockets rank 28th (48.2).
Houston ranks second in rebounds allowed per game (41.2) while Detroit ranks 17th (43.7).
The Pistons rank first in fast break points allowed per game (9.5) while the Rockets rank 15th (11.7).
Houston ranks 11th in assists allowed per game (22.7) while Detroit ranks 25th (24.9).
The Rockets rank fifth in steals per game (8.5) while the Pistons rank 17th (7.7).
Houston ranks 14th in blocks per game (4.7) while Detroit ranks 26th (3.9).
The Pistons rank fifth in points off turnovers allowed per game (15.0) while the Rockets rank 14th (15.8).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Detroit is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Houston is 2-2-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Pistons’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 1.6, up from 1.0 for the season.
During their last five games, the Rockets have scored an average of 112.2 points per game (1.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 104.2 points per game (0.6 below their season average).
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