Pistons vs. Hornets: NBA Odds, predictions, best bets
Detroit and Charlotte tip-off Friday night in Game No. 2 of the NBA season. Basketball bettors can find odds and the ever-popular parlay options for this game between two teams seeking to improve around young players.
The Pistons fell short in their season opener, losing 103-102 at Miami. That performance may be a moral victory, coming against one of the East’s best teams. But, the standings aren’t based on moral victories. New head coach Monty Williams hopes his team can split its two-game road trip before the home opener on Saturday evening in the Motor City.
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The Hornets covered the spread in their season opener and won outright. Detroit comes into Charlotte off a one-point loss, suffered to the defending Eastern Conference champs, the Miami Heat.
- Last season, the Pistons were 2-2 against the Hornets, including 1-1 at Charlotte.
- Charlotte was 16-25 Against The Spread at home in the 2022-23 NBA season.
The best news from the Pistons’ season-opening loss was the excellent play of Cade Cunningham, who appeared in his first NBA regular season game in nearly 12 months. Cunningham looked no worse for the layoff, not rusty and not tentative on the court. Instead, the Detroit guard was explosive and shot the rock very well (13-for-27, 4-for-9 from three-point range).
The former No. 1 overall pick shot nine times from beyond the three-stripe, which is an indication that Monty Williams wants Cunningham to launch from downtown. If he’s genuinely improved his long-range shot, Cade will make himself even more difficult to defend. Take advantage of DraftKings bet $5, get $200 in bonus bets for new sign-ups.
But Detroit is finally no longer a one-trick pony: Cunningham’s teammates Jalen Duren (17 points, 14 rebounds) and Isaiah Stewart (14 points, also 14 rebounds) recorded double-doubles in what must feel like resounding evidence that those two can shoulder the load inside and be offensive contributors.
The Hornets will be less of a defensive mismatch for the Pistons, and Williams can send his new 8-man rotation into the fray, as Bojan Bogdanović and backup point guard Monte Harris are still shelved with injuries for at least another week, according to reports.
The Hornets flapped their wings to a scoring flurry in the fourth quarter on Wednesday to pull away from the Hawks. It was an impressive season-opening win for a team that won only 27 times last season. It’s all about shooting accuracy for the Hornets, who shot 50% in their opener, making up for a mediocre 29.7% from beyond the arc.
The strengths of this team are choosing good shots and knocking them down. The biggest weakness may be their turnover potential, which Detroit (now emphasizing D) might be able to exploit on Friday evening.
Our parlay for the Pistons’ opener on Wednesday went 2-for-3, which counts as an airball. We have a three-leg parlay for this matchup in Charlotte, built on Pistons player props.
- Cade Cunningham To Score Over 25 Points
- Cade Cunningham To Record 8+ Assists
- Jalen Duran To Record 10.5+ Rebounds
Odds are +975 on this SGP
- Swishes: 0
- Airballs: 1
- Bankroll: -$100
With teammates he can pick and roll with, or dump a pass to for an easy look, Cunningham has many options in the Pistons’ offense, where he’s in complete control.
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