Indiana Pacers vs. Detroit Pistons Prediction, Preview, and Odds

It’s a Central Division clash when the Pacers visit the Pistons on Monday night. Indiana (12-8 SU, 12-8 ATS) lost against the Lakers on Saturday in the In-Season Tournament championship game, 123-109, as +3.5 underdogs. Detroit (2-20 SU, 9-13 ATS) lost at Orlando on Friday night, 123-91, as +10.5 underdogs. Tip off from Little Caesars Arena is scheduled for 7:10 EST.

Indiana offense experiences rare off night

The Pacers are coming off an excellent run in the In-Season Tournament which saw them knocking off Boston and Milwaukee prior to their loss on Saturday. The 109 points scored by the offense were the fewest they put since they scored 104 back on November 1. They still lead the league with a 128.4 points per game average, which is 6.2 more than the next time. They are shooting 50.8% overall, best in the league, and 38.1% from three, sixth best. The Pacers are also best in the league with a 2.43 assist-to-turnover ratio. Tyrese Haliburton had 20 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday’s loss, his fourth straight double-double. He is leading the Pacers with 26.9 points per game and leading the NBA with 12.1 assists per game.

Indiana’s defense has allowed 125 points per game over their last five and on the year that average is 124.9 per game, second highest mark in the league. Opponents are shooting 49.9% from the field, 29 in the NBA, and 38.9% from three-point range, 28 in the league. They are second-to-last in the league with 40.1 rebounds per game, leading to a -3.7-rebound differential against them. The Pacers average 7.9 steals and 6.4 blocks per game. Center Myles Turner is seventh in the league with 2.1 blocks per game and he leads Indiana with eight rebounds a night.

Detroit creeping up on history

The Pistons are hoping to not become the 14 team in NBA history to lose at least 20 games in a row. They have scored 107 or less points in five of their last six games, with the 91 points on Friday standing as their lowest tally of the year. They are scoring 108 points per game this season, third fewest in the league, and they are shooting 46% from the field and 33.9% from three. Detroit sits 28 in the league with a 1.53 assist-to-turnover ratio. Cade Cunningham has led the team in scoring in seven of the last eight games and his 22 points per game are the team’s best. The Pistons’ point guard also leads the team with 7.3 assists per game, seventh best mark in the NBA. Cunningham is shooting 42% for the season.

On the defensive end, Detroit is giving up 118.2 points per game, 23 in the league. Opponents have shot 48.1% from the field and 36.8% from three against the Pistons this season, while also averaging 21.7 free throws per game. Detroit has been good for 45 rebounds per game, 9 in the league, and they have a +2.5-rebound differential. Second-year center Jalen Duran, who is 6 in the league with 10.9 rebounds per game, will miss the next couple of weeks according to the team due to a left ankle sprain.

Best Bets

Full-Game Side Bet

Rating:

The Pacers have already taken part of the Pistons current losing streak once, beating them, 136-113, as -9.5 favorites at home. Indiana is 3-2 SU and ATS in the last five meetings with the Pistons. This game will likely lack defense, which obviously favors the high-scoring Pacers in a big way. When they met a little over two weeks ago, the Pacers knocked down 16 three pointers and went 22-24 from the line. Their offense continues to shoot consistently well. Saturday’s loss can be thrown out as it was the lone game of the tournament that is not folded into the regular season. Getting back to regular season business, Indiana has the right matchup to get back on the winning track and this spread should be easy for them to handle. Their last five wins have come by an average margin of victory of 7.8 points per game. The Pistons are 2-5 ATS over their last seven games.

Take the Pacers giving the points.

Prediction: Indiana -6.5

Full-Game Total Pick

Rating:

When they met in November these two combined for 249 total points to eclipse the same total posted on this matchup. That is the only time in the last ten meetings that they would have cleared this particular total. Detroit has been unable to even reach 110 points, having scored less than that in 12 games of their losing streak. In their last three games they’ve averaged just 98 points per game. Indiana is coming off of their third lowest scoring game of the season and though it was under mildly different circumstances than just a regular season game, it is still something that can trickle over here. I expect them to be just a bit slower out of the gate than usual and unable to carry the amount of the load needed here.

Take the under.

Prediction: Under 246.5

A sportswriter for over a decade, Craig has covered everything from the little leagues to the big leagues. His work has been seen on MLB.com, ESPN.com and in the sports pages of the Boston Globe and Miami Herald, among others. Having had a front-row seat to all the action, he has been able to positively blend a little bit of the old and the new when it comes to analyzing the game and breaking it all down. Though longing for the days of the old football card that would be passed around in the halls of high school, Craig is happy to see the business flourishing and ready to put his own mark on things as he joins our team here at StatSalt and Winners & Whiners.