The Toronto Raptors will travel to The Palace of Auburn Hills to play the Detroit Pistons. The game gets underway at 7:30 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 24 and will air on TSN and FSN-DET+.
The Pistons were victorious over the Celtics 105-97 on Sunday. Andre Drummond played a key role, recording 18 points and 22 rebounds to notch his 39th double-double this season. The Raptors, meanwhile, are coming off a 106-89 win over the Knicks on Sunday. DeMar DeRozan led the team in scoring with 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
Over the last five games, DeRozan has been on fire for the Raptors. During that stretch, he has averaged 23.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.0 three-pointer.
The frequency with which the Raptors shoot free throws could play a key factor in this game. They rank fifth in the league in free throw attempt rate (29.6), but Detroit is among the best in the NBA at keeping opponents off the line (ranking fifth by allowing a free throw attempt rate of 24.4).
The Raptors have won two out of three against the Pistons this season, including a 114-110 victory in their last matchup. Despite the loss, D.J. Augustin was the game’s leading scorer with 35 points.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Pistons enter the game with records of 26-44 Straight Up (SU) and 34-36 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 17-23 SU and 18-22 ATS versus the Eastern Conference. The Pistons have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the fourth-ranked rebounding team in the NBA, averaging 45.4 per game, while the Raptors rank 26th in the league with 41.5 per game.
On the other side, the Raptors head into the game with records of 32-37-1 ATS and 42-28 SU. In Eastern Conference games, Toronto has gone 29-14 SU and 22-21 ATS. The Raptors rank third in the league in road scoring, averaging 105.8 points per game. The Raptors are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .787 free throw percentage that ranks second in the NBA. Toronto has not committed many turnovers, averaging only 12.2 per game.
Toronto beat Detroit in their most recent meeting this season, bringing its SU record in the past 10 games to 7-3. Additionally, the Raptors lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Toronto held the edge in all three of these categories once in the last 10 meetings. Detroit never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR, ATS Winner – TOR
Notes
The Toronto Raptors are among the highest-scoring squads, earning an average of 104.3 points per game (ranked fourth), while the Detroit Pistons are in the top half of NBA teams in points allowed with 99.6 (ranked 15th).
Toronto puts up an average of 105.8 points per away game (ranked third). Detroit ranks 22nd in points allowed per home game with 101.2.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Raptors are 24-5 on the season. When the Pistons score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 8-32.
Toronto has an 18-23 record when allowing at least 100 points. Detroit has an 18-12 record when it hits triple digits.
The Pistons have a defensive rating of 103.2 (ranked 18th), while the Raptors rank fourth for their offensive rating of 107.7.
Toronto has an average field goal percentage of 45.3%. Detroit is an abysmal 8-30 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, the Detroit Pistons attempt 25.1 three point field goals per game and the Toronto Raptors attempt 25.1 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, Detroit has a 14-20 record and Toronto has a 23-18 record.
The Detroit Pistons rank 12th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.66. The Toronto Raptors have a higher A/TO (1.71), ranking eighth.
Detroit ranks fourth among all teams in rebounding, placing the team near the top of the league (45.4 per game). Toronto, however, ranks 26th in rebounding with 41.5 per game.
Detroit is ranked 14th in defensive rebounds, while Toronto ranks 15th in offensive rebounds.
Toronto has forced an average turnover percentage of 14.7% this season. Detroit has a losing 8-17 record when its TOV% is 14.7% or higher.
