Pistons vs. Pacers: Preview, odds, parlay and best bets

On Thursday, the Detroit Pistons finish a six-game, four-state road trip when they play the Indiana Pacers. Detroit has lost three straight but has a 4-7 record in its last 11 games.

The Pacers are priced as big favorites by the best NBA betting sites. Still, we see opportunities on Thursday in this NBA matchup of division rivals. Detroit has been a good choice on the point spread during February, and their mark ATS this season is a respectable 26-27-1.

Here are the odds for the game from the top Michigan sportsbooks:

Detroit has a healthy roster for the most part entering Thursday’s game. Only Isaiah Stewart and Quentin Grimes have been ruled out. Guard Cade Cunningham is listed as probable, and likely won’t be held out of the game for load management by head coach Monty Williams. This is the first game after the NBA All-Star break after all and players have had more than a week to rest any nagging ailments. Some of Cunningham’s critics may like to think that “Nagging Ailment” is his nickname.

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The Pistons are 13-3 against the spread in their last 16 games. The Pacers are 2-6 ATS since February 1. That’s a winning combination and leads us to take the points and the Pistons on the road.

Indiana is the highest-scoring team in the NBA, and a legit contender to win the Eastern Conference, even if they are currently the No. 6 seed. Yet, in their last meeting, the Pistons managed to beat the spread, losing by just eight points on December 11. In that game, Detroit trailed by as few as two points in the fourth quarter. That’s because the Pacers have the third-worst scoring defense in the NBA, a position even lower than Detroit’s. We suspect this first game back following the All-Star break layoff will favor the shooters, and scoring will be elevated. Detroit can hang with the Pacers for a while and should have a nice chance to keep the score close and triumph ATS.

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Odds on this three-leg Pistons parlay are +500 from Caesars. That means if we hit on all three wagers, our $100 winning bet will pay $500 plus our stake.

Cunningham has scored only 12 and 13 points in his most recent two games. He’s only managed to score fewer than 22 points in three straight games once this season. That came back in November. He’s also averaging 27 PPG against Indiana.

• Cade Cunningham: Over 21.5 points
• Jaden Ivey: Under 17.5 points
• Jalen Duren: Under 11.5 rebounds

• Swishes: 14
• Airballs: 11
• Bankroll: +$460

Indiana has averaged 133.5 points per game in their two matchups against Detroit this season, both wins. The Pacers are led by All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, who shoots 40% from three-point range. Indiana is lethal from beyond the arc, ranking fourth in the NBA in 3-point shooting. They aren’t shabby from inside the three-point line either: a league-best 58.8% on two-point field goals. That means the Pistons will be tasked with suppressing that scoring firepower. The challenge seems insurmountable for the sloppy Pistons, who turn the ball over way too often and give their opponents too many chances with the rock.

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