NBA futures odds: Detroit Pistons season preview
The 2022-2023 season was an ugly one for all involved with the Detroit Pistons. They finished the season with just 17 wins, the lowest mark of any team in the league. Unfortunately, the ping pong balls did not go their way in the draft lottery and they dropped to the fifth overall pick.
However, there’s reason for optimism. The team added another top-5 pick in Ausar Thompson to its core which already featured former lottery pick Jaden Ivey and former first overall pick Cade Cunningham. Speaking of Cunningham, he’s healthy after missing all but 12 games last season. On top of that, the team hired Monty Williams as head coach after his impressive performance in the past few seasons with the Phoenix Suns.
So how do the oddsmakers feel about the team as a whole and their players? Let’s take a look.
Going from last place to an NBA Championship is certainly an unrealistic expectation. That sounds like more of a movie script than a real-life scenario. Oddsmakers would agree with that assessment.
Despite some reason for hope entering the season, the Pistons remain amongst the longest shots in the NBA to win the title. At DraftKings, you can bet the Pistons at 600-to-1 to win the NBA title. That means a $5 bet would win you a cool $3,000.
If you are so inclined to make this bet, DraftKings is offering new users $200 in bonus bets after placing your first $5 wager.
Other longshots to win the title include teams like Washington, Charlotte and Houston. That’s not exactly the company you would like to keep.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics are currently co-favorites (+400) on DraftKings, with the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns right behind them.
Over half of the NBA makes the playoffs, which means making the playoffs isn’t a crazy aspiration to have. However, when you have a last-place team with a new head coach and a multitude of young players, it’s best to practice patience.
Despite Detroit getting Cade Cunningham back healthy, drafting Ausar Thompson and bringing in Monty Williams behind the bench, they are still extreme longshots to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Last season, it took a .500 record to make the playoffs in the East. Detroit finished last season 48 games under .500. A 24-game improvement would be needed.
FanDuel is offering +1060 odds on Detroit to make the playoffs, meaning a $5 bet would return $53 in profit. Remember, this bet grades after the play-in tournament and Detroit would need to be one of the eight teams playing in the official first round for this bet to cash.
As a basketball fan, now’s the time to sign up on FanDuel. Your first $5 wager will unlock $200 in bonus bets and three months of NBA League Pass.
While a championship is a dream and the playoffs are a longshot hope at best, that’s not to say oddsmakers aren’t expecting a much improved Pistons team this season. As we’ve mentioned, Detroit finished with just 17 wins last season. Currently, the market expects Detroit to finish between 27-29 wins, depending on which sportsbooks you shop at.
If you’re a believer in the Pistons, the best place to bet their over is at FanDuel. You can get Detroit: Over 27.5 wins (+110, FanDuel) which is the best price on the market.
Washington is the only team with a lower projected win total. This win total has the Pistons in the same tier as teams like San Antonio and Portland.
The worst part of last season for Pistons fans probably wasn’t even the losing. It was being robbed of the opportunity to watch Cade Cunningham play basketball on a nightly basis. After injuring his leg in early November, Cunningham was shut down for the season, appearing in just 12 games.
While last season was brutal, it does open the door for Cunningham to become a contender to win NBA’s Most Improved Player this season. Cunningham is top five on most odds boards alongside the likes of Mikal Bridges, Tyrese Maxey and Jordan Poole.
If Cunningham returns from his injury-shortened season and displays the talents that got him drafted first overall out of Oklahoma State in 2021, it’s certainly realistic for him to win this award.
If you like Cunningham’s chances, head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and place your bet today.
Victor Wembanyama is a heavy favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year. The 7-foot-4 forward out of France has been hyped up for years and is likely to take the league by storm with his massive size and smooth handling abilities. However, in case Wembanyama slips up, struggles or battles injuries, there is a group behind him that can compete for the award.
Thompson is 50-to-1 to win NBA Rookie of the Year at BetMGM Sportsbook. The Detroit Pistons used the fifth overall pick to draft Ausar Thompson from Overtime Elite. Thompson decided to forego the college route, which means fewer people are familiar with his game. However, he projects as a long, ball-handling 2 or 3 that can immediately step in and defend at a high level. He won MVP in his league last season.
BetMGM has a first bet offer of up to $1,500 paid back in bonus bets if you don’t win when using code MLIVEMGM at sign-up.
If the Detroit Pistons surprise everyone this season, a lot of credit will go to Monty Williams who will enter his first season with Detroit. Williams joins the organization after spending the previous four seasons with Phoenix. Over the last three years, the Suns went 160-76 under Williams, which was good for a .678 winning percentage and two first-place finishes.
Williams is currently 30-to-1 to win NBA Coach of the Year at BetRivers. Most people disagreed with his firing in Phoenix, so the narrative is certainly there for him if he performs well in his first season elsewhere.
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