The Detroit Pistons and the LA Clippers are making pundits eat their words with some quality performances and good wins. The hosts will look to stay undefeated, while the Pistons are looking to start off the road trip on a high note. Make sure you don’t miss this Saturday night clash!
Pistons at Clippers
Spread: L.A. Clippers -6.5 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: o/u 207 points (-110)
Can Tobias Harris be an All-Star this year?
It’s still October, but the question of Tobias Harris being at the All-Star weekend is a legitimate question after his fantastic play so far this season. He was instrumental in another Pistons’ win, the 122-101 trumping of the Wolves, who, admittedly played sans Jimmy Butler on Wednesday night.
After a bit of a down game against the Sixers – which, unsurprisingly, the Pistons lost – Harris poured in 34 points on 14-of-24 shooting, with 6 threes. Plenty of players supplied help, with Bradley scoring 20, Drummond getting a nice 15-15 double-double, and more Pistons in double digits. Detroit played a strong first half, exploited the mismatches and exploited Minny’s poor bench to open up a decisive 19 points lead by halftime. Everything was falling for Detroit in this one. They have shot 52.2 percent from the field, including 44 percent from the three-point range, as they’ve quickly grown comfortable in their new arena despite the scarce attendance. Stan Van Gundy is still tinkering with rotations, evaluating players, and this competition might have played a role in a focused and disciplined game from the entire team. The coach has also encouraged more of an up-tempo game, and it led to a large disparity in the fast break points vs the tired Wolves, 24-0.
The victory has earned them a nice couple of days of rest before they travel to the Pacific coast to play both L.A. teams and the Warriors. They then return home for the next 5 games, so any win would be a boost to their already positive start of the season.
Place: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Date/Time: Saturday, October 28th, 2017. 10:30 PM ET
TV Coverage: FSPT, FS Detroit
Griffin hits a buzzer three to stun Portland fans
We all usually make too much out of those last-second winners, as the NBA players are first to say that sometimes those go in and sometimes they don’t. Still, having one drop for Griffin, a new leader of the Clippers, must have felt good for the entire organization. To win in a tough place like Portland is further justification that these Clippers are for real. The 103-104 victory meant that they are still undefeated, four games in, despite having to go through roster changes, preseason and season injuries and basketball style change.
After blowing out their first three opponents, this one was a much different ball game. The Clippers scored 62 points by halftime and were up 9, but the Blazers never relented. There were six lead changes in the final two minutes as the teams traded baskets for the entire fourth quarter. Griffin really came through, scoring 16 of his 25 points in the period, including a game-winning three-point basket as time expired. Griffin was positioned to be a hero because the Trail Blazers’ C.J. McCollum made only one of two free throws with six seconds left, leaving the door open for the Clippers. Like is usually the case in these Blazers-Clippers matchups fouls were a major story. The Clippers shot 27 free throws in the first half as Griffin and Gallinari attacked the Blazers switches and repeatedly drew fouls. It was a way for the refs to handle the game between two teams that don’t like each other much, but I didn’t get the feeling that the officiating played a decisive role in the outcome of the game.
Austin Rivers dislocated a pinkie seconds before the frantic ending, so he might miss time if the doctor orders it, but it’s not a major issue. As Teodosic is out indefinitely, the Clippers need him and need him to play well. He did so in Portland, scoring 16 points as all the starters managed to get to double digits, except Jordan, who made up for it with 18 rebounds and 3 blocks. The Clippers are still shooting a rather low percentage of their outside tries, but at least sharpshooter Lou Williams finally found some of his touch in the last game. If he could find last season’s form, the Clippers would be much more dangerous.
Detroit Pistons at Los Angeles Clippers Game Trends & Prediction
Betting on Pistons has given you some nice return so far, as they failed to cover only once, in the home loss to Philly. This gives them 4-1 ATS score, and the only slip up can be attributed to chance, as Detroit scored 111.5 points in four other games, and only 86 against the Sixers. The good scoring has propelled them among over-winning teams, but it’s still a modest success – their O/U record stands at 3-2 this season.
You’ve got pick your side, though, as the Clippers have been even more successful. This is mostly a product of being underrated to start of this season, but the 4-0 ATS score looks good for those who believed in their success. Each of the four games ended in under points, so it’s safe to say that their games have been very predictable so far. These trends will surely alarm the books to adjust sooner than later.
A unique ranking system – AdmiRank helps you understand how good NBA teams are on a scale to 100. The Pistons did have a nice start, but figure to be an average NBA squad. A trip to West Coast will likely confirm this. The Clippers are in a better position if you discount the injuries to their combo guards. They are obviously trending up and have to be considered as a better team than the Pistons.
It will be interesting to see how Harris and Griffin play each other. Drummond and Jordan matchup could also be decisive, if either player shows dominance beneath the rim, but that’s unlikely to happen due to their similarities. Harris and Griffin are much different power forwards, so it’s going to be a scramble on both sides defensively. Additional, neither side has shot well so far, except for one game where they showed much promise. This leads me to believe that, combined with an up-tempo game and the recent Clippers under trend, the over points is the way to go in this game.
The books have been kind to us in this matchup. The L.A. Clippers have been set as a 6.5-point favorite, and the total line is at 207 points. The handicap is well set so there’s no chance to get decent enough value to bet either side, but the over is here to take. According to my estimations, the line should be set at 210.5, which is not exactly an eye-popping difference, but is enough for me to take it without hesitation.
My Pick: pass
Total: over 207 points (-110)
