Detroit Pistons Vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Predictions, Starting Lineups (2/10/24)
The Detroit Pistons will head for warmer weather as winners of three of their past six games. Can they scrape together a fourth win in just the past few weeks against the Los Angeles Clippers, one of the hottest teams in the NBA? See our Detroit Pistons vs. Los Angeles Clippers predictions, betting picks, and current odds below to find out!
Detroit Pistons Vs. Los Angeles Clippers Prediction
After “wheeling and dealing” at the trade deadline, the Detroit Pistons will look like a brand new team. However, it is to be determind how many of their newly acquired players will be available on the road in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Detroit’s biggest move at the deadline was dumping veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic has been the Pistons’ best player over the past two seasons, averaging more than 20 points per game on very efficient shooting. Without Bogdanovic, the Pistons will be without their key offensive weapon. Can they hang on against the loaded Clippers?
The Pistons are 3-3 in their past six games, which is by far their best stretch this season, logging wins over Portland and Sacramento on the road and against Oklahoma City at home. However, there is a major concern for Detroit that cannot be ignored any longer: the Pistons are 4-6 without Cade Cunningham on the floor and 4-37 with him in the lineup.
For this game, Cunningham is available, Bogdanovic is gone, and a large portion of the Pistons’ newly acquired players could be unavailable. Bench depth could be a real issue in this spot.
On the other hand, the Los Angeles Clippers are 26-6 in their past 32 games overall, which is the best record in the NBA; they also have the highest offensive rating (+125.7) and have the most efficient shooting split (51/42/84) at home in that stretch.
We have been burned on a few of these double-digit spread games, including the Boston game on Friday night, but the Pistons give up the most points per games to opponents on the road, which makes this arguably the worst possible matchup for them.
Detroit Pistons Vs. Los Angeles Clippers Prediction: Clippers -15.5 (-118)
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Detroit Pistons Vs. Los Angeles Clippers Best Odds
The Detroit Pistons are humongous 15-point road dogs on Saturday afternoon against the Los Angeles Clippers. Detroit has surprisingly won three of its past six games but still has long Moneyline odds of +850 to snag a road victory, while Los Angeles is a -1450 favorite to continue its dominant stretch. The point total hangs around 237.5 points, with -110 odds on both the Over and the Under.
Detroit Pistons Starting Lineup
PG: Cade Cunningham
SG: Jaden Ivey
SF: Ausar Thompson
PF: Mike Muscala
C: Jalen Duren
Los Angeles Clippers Starting Lineup
PG: James Harden
SG: Terance Mann
SF: Paul George
PF: Kawhi Leonard
C: Ivica Zubac
Detroit Pistons Vs. Los Angeles Clippers Injuries
It is good that the Detroit Pistons aren’t riddled with injuries (they will only miss Isaiah Stewart due to an ankle injury) because they made several moves at the trade deadline and won’t have a handful of their newly acquired players available tomorrow. The players that they received in trades but will be sidelined include Quentin Grimes, Malachi Flynn, Troy Brown Jr., Evan Fournier, Shake Milton, and Simone Fontecchio. Detroit will be shorthanded in this bout against the Clippers in Los Angeles, but it is hardly a winnable game either way.
Meanwhile, the Clippers stood pat at the trade deadline, comfortable with finishing the 2023-24 campaign with their existing roster. Los Angeles should have its entire team healthy and available for this non-conference matchup against Detroit, the worst team in the NBA.
