Check out our free Nuggets vs Pistons pick and preview for this NBA game in Detroit. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.
Nuggets vs Pistons NBA Pick & Preview
- Sport: NBA
- Teams: Denver Nuggets at Detroit Pistons
- Where: Detroit at Little Caesars Arena
- Date: Thursday, March 16th
- Betting Odds DET +12.5, DEN -818 | DET +561 O/U 228.5
The Nuggets come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 46-23. So far, the team has gone 36-32-1 against the spread. Denver will take the court having lost 4 straight games. The team has an average scoring margin of -11.5 in these matchups.
The Nuggets are coming off a disappointing 125-110 loss to the Raptors. Going into the game, they were favored to win by 1 points. Denver got off to a slow start, trailing by 16 points going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Nikola Jokic, as he contributed 28 points while hitting 76.9% of his shots.
The Pistons come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 16-54. So far, the team has gone 31-38-1 against the spread. In their previous 3 games, the Pistons are averaging 109 points per game while allowing 111. This has led to a record of 1-2.
Detroit is trying to bounce back from a 117-97 loss to the Wizards. Going into this game, the team was 13 point underdogs on the spread, giving them an ATS loss. Detroit struggled throughout the game, as they were not able to chip home at a 16 point halftime deficit. Leading the team in scoring was Killian Hayes, as he contributed 20 points while hitting 47.6% of his shots.
Head To Head Recap & Stats
In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Pistons picked up the win 110-108 win over the Nuggets. Heading into the game, Detroit was the 11.5 point underdogs, giving them an ATS win. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. Similar to their season-long average, the Nuggets averaged 113.5 points per game vs the Pistons. Just like the Nuggets, the Pistons maintained their usual level of scoring in head-to-head matchups, averaging 108.0 points per game vs Denver. Although the Pistons have the better ATS mark across the previous 5 head-head matchups at 3-2, the average scoring margin sits in favor of Denver, as they averaged 114 points per game while allowing 107. Over the course of these games, they averaged 221 points per game, leading a 2-3 over-under record.
Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game
The Denver offense will take the floor in today’s game with the league’s 7th ranked offense at 116.8 points per game. So far, the Nuggets are averaging 98.3 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Although the team tends to play at a more deliberate pace, they are currently one of the more efficient shooting teams, connecting on field goal attempts at a rate of 50.8%.
Currently, the Nuggets defense is ranked 14th in points allowed. So far, opposing teams are averaging 110.41 points per game vs the unit.
On offense, Nikola Jokic leads the Nuggets in scoring at 24.7 points per game, placing him 24th in the NBA. Overall, Jokic has hit 63.0% of his shots while accounting for 17.3% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 23rd in points allowed to centers. At 20.0 points per game, Jamal Murray is the 2nd leading scorer for the Nuggets. For the season, he is 80th in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 44.6%.
For the season, the Pistons offensive unit is ranked just 28th in scoring at 111.2 points per contest. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Pistons are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 99.7 per contest. This slow style of play has made a difference in their overall scoring numbers, as Detroit is just 28th in made field goals per game.
Against the Nuggets, the Pistons will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 22nd in points allowed.
Detroit will be counting Jaden Ivey to put together a strong scoring performance vs the Denver, as Bojan Bogdanovic has been ruled out for today’s game. So far, Bogdanovic leads the team in scoring at 21.6 points per game. Ivey is 2nd on the team at 15.4 points per contest, which sits 87.0th in the NBA. In his 62 games, he has hit 41.5% of his field goal attempts, and is grabbing 3.9 rebounds per game.
Nuggets vs Pistons Pick
- Free Spread Prediction: Pistons +12.5
- Free Total Prediction: Over 228.5
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