Detroit Pistons vs Los Angeles Clippers Preview (11/17/22): Prediction, Starting Lineups, Odds
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The Pistons and Clippers, two banged-up teams, will find out which group has a deeper bench on Thursday, November 17th, in Los Angeles. See my analysis and prediction for this game below, as well as the projected starting lineups, length injury reports, and updated odds!
Detroit Pistons Vs. Los Angeles Clippers Betting Odds
The Detroit Pistons are nine-point road dogs against the Los Angeles Clippers. Cade Cunningham, Kawhi Leonard, Luke Kennard, and Isaiah Stewart will all miss the game due to injuries, while Paul George and Cory Joseph are questionable as of Wednesday night. Keep an eye on the injury reports for both teams, as the line could tighten if PG13 doesn’t play.
Detroit Pistons Vs. Los Angeles Clippers Prediction
An already underwhelming matchup could be made even less interesting if Paul George misses this contest. As mentioned above, this game will be without two stars already, and George could be the third one to miss. Still, that doesn’t mean that we won’t bet on the game.
The absence of Kawhi Leonard has been some combination of concerning and confusing. Leonard played in merely two games before being removed from the lineup once again. He doesn’t seem to have a timetable for his return, but the Clippers have always been quiet about internal matters. He won’t be available for this game, though.
Los Angeles has a strong defense, ranking second in defensive efficiency and third in opponent eFG% (effective field goal percentage), but struggles on offense have held it to a modest 8-7 record, despite having the second-easiest schedule.
On the other hand, Detroit’s most significant struggles have been on defense, as it ranks dead last in defensive rating. Injuries now to Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart will only further the gap between the Pistons and the next-worst team in the NBA. I will probably go with the Clippers against the spread in this matchup, but only once I confirm George is playing.
Betting Trends
- Detroit is 1-5-1 ATS on the road in 2022-23
- Los Angeles is 2-5 ATS at home in 2022-23
- The combined over record of these two teams is 12-17-1 in 2022-23
Key Matchups
The key matchup in this battle between non-conference opponents will be the Los Angeles Clippers’ inefficient offense versus the Detroit Pistons’ matador defense. Yes, this game will be decided by which awful aspect of each team is less awful for 48 minutes. Check out the analysis for this matchup in the section below.
Clippers’ Offense vs. Pistons’ Defense
We’ve seen this Clippers offense struggle in the past, especially without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the floor. However, it doesn’t make much sense that their offensive chemistry would regress season over season, with George playing in the majority of games so far. The Clippers rank 29th in offensive efficiency while putting up the fewest amount of points in the NBA; the overall outlook doesn’t seem like it will improve, even when Leonard returns.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons are dead last in the NBA in defensive rating; they almost have to try to be that bad on defense. The Pistons are even worse than the Houston Rockets on defense, which hardly seems possible. Now that Marvin Bagley (119.4 defensive rating) will probably step in during Isaiah Stewart’s (115.5 defensive rating) absence, this deficiency will be further exponentiated. Advantage: Clippers’ Offense.
Detroit Pistons Starting Lineup
PG: Killian Hayes
SG: Jaden Ivey
SF: Saddiq Bey
PF: Bojan Bogdanovic
C: Marvin Bagley III
Los Angeles Clippers Starting Lineups
PG: Reggie Jackson
SG: Terance Mann
SF: Paul George
PF: Marcus Morris Sr
C: Ivica Zubac
Key Injuries
Detroit Pistons Injuries: Cade Cunningham (Out), Isaiah Stewart (Out), Cory Joseph (Q)
Los Angeles Clippers Injuries: Kawhi Leonard (Out), Paul George (Q), Luke Kennard (D)
