Pacers vs Pistons Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Saturday, March 11th

Check out our free Pacers 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.

Pacers vs Pistons NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Indiana Pacers at Detroit Pistons
Where: Detroit at Little Caesars Arena
Date: Saturday, March 11th
Betting Odds DET +5.5, IND -216 | DET +178 O/U OFF

The Pacers come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 30-37. So far, the team has gone 36-30-1 against the spread. Across the team’s previous 3 games, they have gone 2-1 straight-up and 2-1 vs the spread.

The Pacers are coming off a 134-125 win over the Rockets. Although they came away with a straight up win, it was not enough to cover the spread as they entered as 9 point favorites. In the game, Indiana was able to hold on to their first half lead, as they led the Rockets by 6 going into the second half. In the win, Tyrese Haliburton led the team in scoring with 29 points on a field goal percentage of 45.0%.

So far, the Pistons have put together an overall record of 15-52, while going 30-36-1 vs the spread. Today, the Pistons will be looking to snap a 10 game losing streak. The team has lost these games by an average of -8.0 points per contest.

Not only did the Pistons drop their last game to the Hornets. But they also picked up an ATS loss, as they fell by a score of 113-103 as 3 point underdogs. Detroit was not able to turn things around in the 2nd half, as they trailed the Hornets by 10 going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Cory Joseph, as he contributed 17 points while hitting 50.0% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Pacers picked up the 124-115 win over the Pistons. The Pacers point margin of victory was enough to cover the spread as 0.5 point favorite. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. Similar to their season-long average, the Pacers averaged 108.5 points per game vs the Pistons. On the other side, Detroit saw an improvement in their scoring numbers when playing the Pacers, as they averaged 110.5 points per game in these matchups. Through the last 5 matchups between the teams, Detroit has an ATS mark of 4-1. But, looking at the scoring margin in these games, an average of just 0 points per game separates the teams. Indiana and Detroit averaged a combined 222 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 3-2.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

Heading into play, the Pacers offense is rated 11th in the league in scoring, averaging 115.7 points per contest. In terms of pace, the Pacers are on the top units in the NBA, averaging 100.5 possessions per game. So far, the team has been able to rank well on offense, even though their up-tempo style of play has not translated into inside scoring. Currently, Indiana is just 24th in 2-point field goal makes per game.

Against the Pistons, the Pacers will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 26th in points allowed.

Before getting a bet down on this matchup, be sure to check in on the health status of Tyrese Haliburton who is 2nd on the team in scoring at 20.8 points per game. At the time of this article, Haliburton is listed as questionable. For the season, he is 2nd on the team in usage rate and is 19th in the NBA in player efficiency rating. If he is able to play, Indiana benefit from having both of their top scorers as Buddy Hield leads the team and is 72nd in the league in scoring (17.3). For today’s matchup, he will going against a defense ranked 15th in points allowed to small-forwards.

Through 67 games, the Pistons are averaging 111.3 points per contest, placing them 28th in the NBA. So far, the Pistons are averaging 99.8 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Not only is the team one of the more deliberate units in the NBA, they have yet to find their shooting stroke, ranking just 27th in the league in field goal percentage 45.5%.

Defensively, Detroit has had its problems giving up an average of 112.55 points per game (22nd).

Personel figures to be a big issue for the Pistons in today’s game, as both Bojan Bogdanovic and Jaden Ivey are listed as out on the injury report. For the year, Bogdanovic leads the team in scoring at 21.6 points per game, which ranks 39th in the NBA. Not having Ivey is also a big blow to the team, as he is averaging 15.4 points per game for Detroit.