Pistons vs 76ers Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Wednesday, December 21st

Check out our free Pistons vs 76ers pick and preview for this NBA game in Philadelphia. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Pistons vs 76ers NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Detroit Pistons at Philadelphia 76ers
Where: Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center
Date: Wednesday, December 21st
Betting Odds PHI -11.5, DET +468 | PHI -676 O/U 225.0

The Pistons come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 8-25. So far, the team has gone 17-15-1 against the spread. Over the Pistons current 3 game losing streak, they have an average scoring differential of -9.0 points per game.

Detroit is trying to bounce back from a 126-111 loss to the Jazz. Going into this game, the team was 2 point underdogs on the spread, giving them an ATS loss. Even though Detroit trailed by just 1 point at halftime, they struggled in the 2nd half and ended up losing by 15. In the loss, Jaden Ivey led the team in scoring with 30 points on a field goal percentage of 71.4%.

So far, the 76ers have put together an overall record of 17-12, while going 16-12-1 vs the spread. Philadelphia comes into the game having rattled off 5 straight wins. In these victories, the team has an average scoring margin of 12.8 points per game

Philadelphia is going for another win in today’s game, as they previously took down the Raptors. Going into the game, they were 6 point favorites against the spread. Their 104-101 victory was not enough to cover. Philadelphia went on to win the game, as they led by 11 heading into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Joel Embiid, as he contributed 28 points while hitting 37.5% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

Last season, the 76ers not only won their season series against the Pistons (3-1), but they also took care of business at home, going 2-0 at the Wells Fargo Center. Similar to their season-long average, the Pistons averaged 102.0 points per game vs the 76ers. Similar to the Pistons, the 76ers scored at a rate near the league average. In their games vs Detroit, the team averaged 107.75 points per game. In terms of betting, Philadelphia has an ATS record of 3-2 in the previous 5 matchups vs Detroit. This mark has come on an average scoring margin of +7 points per game in favor of the 76ers. The over-under record in these same games is 2-3, with the teams combining for an average of 211 points per game.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

This season, the Detroit offense is ranked 19th in the NBA in scoring at 111.3 points per game. So far, the Pistons are averaging 99.5 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. If the Pistons offense is going to turn things around, they will need to either generate more possessions or improve their overall efficiency. Currently, they are just 19th ranked team in 3-point shooting percentage.

Against the 76ers, the Pistons will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 22nd in points allowed.

On offense, Bojan Bogdanovic leads the Pistons in scoring at 21.1 points per game, placing him 42nd in the NBA. Overall, Bogdanovic has hit 49.3% of his shots while accounting for 16.0% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 25th in points allowed to power-fowards. At 15.5 points per game, Jaden Ivey is the 2nd leading scorer for the Pistons. For the season, he is 252nd in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 42.1%.

This season, the Philadelphia offense has had their problems scoring the ball as they are a below average unit at 111.2 points per game. One area that the Philadelphia offense is finding success, is their ability to get to the free-throw line. So far, the team is averaging 19.6 made free-throws per contest. If the 76ers offense is going to improve, they could look to play at a faster tempo, as they currently average just 98.1 possession per game. This could benefit the team as they are currently one of the better 3-point shooting units in the NBA.

Defensively, the 76ers are one of the top performing units in the league, giving up 107.33 points per contest (8th).

Center Joel Embiid currently leads the 76ers at 33.0 points per game. For the season, he is 4th in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 24.5% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Embiid is averaging 9.9 boards and 4.6 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 20th ranked defense at defending centers. Tobias Harris enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 26 games, he is averaging 17.1 and is 128th in the league in player efficiency rating.