NBA Game Preview: Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons

Mar 31, 2022

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Game: Philadelphia 76ers @ Detroit Pistons 

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET 

Odds:  76ers -9.5, Pistons +9.5 

Total: 223.5 

The Sixers had a great opportunity to move into the top spot in the East, but back-to-back losses to Phoenix and Milwaukee have pushed Philadelphia back into third place in the Eastern Conference. If the regular season ended today, the Sixers would end up playing Toronto in the first round of the playoffs and that is not an ideal matchup. Tonight, Philly heads to the Motor City looking to get back in the win column against the Pistons. 

Despite the two recent losses, the Sixers have won 12 of their last 18 games. They have also enjoyed a lot of success against Detroit over the last few seasons. Philadelphia is 10-1 SU in the last 11 games against the Pistons. The 76ers have also covered in 12 of the last 16 games with Detroit. 

The Pistons have actually been playing well down the stretch. They only have 20 wins on the season, but they have kept games close and had a stretch in mid-February through early March where they won six of eight games. Over their last 19 games, Detroit has a 15-2-2 ATS record. That gives the Pistons one of the better records against the spread in the NBA at 41-33-2. They are 21-16-1 ATS in home games this season. 

The problem for Detroit is that the organization has decided to shut down leading scorer Jerami Grant for the season. Grant, who averages 19.2 points per game, has a calf injury and with six games to play in the season, the Pistons decided to sit him out. Cade Cunningham is also questionable for tonight. If he doesn’t go, Detroit would be without its two best players. 

The Sixers have been a solid road cover team this season. They are 21-15-1 ATS in away games this season. Philly has won both games with the Pistons this season. They won the last game in November 109-98. That game was also in Detroit and the Sixers covered as 4.5-point favorites. Overall, in their last six games, Philadelphia is just 2-4 ATS. 

The trend seems to be the Over here. Philadelphia has seen the total go Over in four of its last five games and in eight of its last ten on the road. In the Sixers-Pistons series, the Over has been the result in seven of the last eight. The Over has also hit in seven of the last eight in the series when playing in Detroit. 

The Pistons, however, have seen three of their last four games go Under the total. That has also been the result in seven of the Pistons’ last eight games at home. In two games this season, the games ended with totals of 207 and 212 points making tonight’s total of 223.5 seem high. Detroit did score 123 in their last game against Brooklyn, but the Nets are not nearly the defense Philadelphia is. The Sixers are 10th in defensive efficiency and sixth in points allowed (106.8 ppg).