Pistons vs Rockets Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Friday, March 31st

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

Pistons vs Rockets NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Detroit Pistons at Houston Rockets
Where: Houston at Toyota Center
Date: Friday, March 31st
Betting Odds HOU -4.5, DET +160 | HOU -195 O/U 229.5

So far, the Pistons have put together an overall record of 16-60, while going 33-42-1 vs the spread. The Pistons come into the game in the middle of a 7 game losing streak, losing these matchups by an average of -14.86 points per contest.

Detroit will be gunning to get in the win column vs the Rockets, as they previously lost to the Thunder by a score of 107-106. However, because they entered as 9 point underdogs, they came away with an ATS win. Detroit let an opportunity for a win slip away as they held a lead going into the 2nd half of action. Leading the team in scoring was Jaden Ivey, as he contributed 24 points while hitting 44.4% of his shots.

The Rockets come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 18-59. So far, the team has gone 30-45-2 against the spread. Houston will take the court having lost 7 straight games. On average, they have lost these games by -16.14 points per game.

The Rockets will be looking to bounce back from a 123-114 loss to the Nets. In terms of betting, Houston entered as 10 point underdogs, giving them an ATS win. Houston went on to lose the game despite leading by 1 heading into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Kevin Porter Jr., as he contributed 31 points while hitting 50.0% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Rockets picked up the win 117-114 win over the Pistons. Heading into the game, Houston was the 6.0 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 Pistons averaged 109.5 points per game vs the Rockets. Similar to the Pistons, the Rockets scored at a rate near the league average. In their games vs Detroit, the team averaged 110.0 points per game. When looking at how these teams have performed against the spread in recent matchups, the Rockets hold the edge at 3-2. However, the average scoring margin in these matchups has been tight, sitting at just -1 points per game. The over-under record in these same games is 2-3, with the teams combining for an average of 217 points per game.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

The Pistons come into today’s game as the 28th ranked scoring offense at 110.7 points per game. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Pistons are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 99.3 per contest. 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 22nd ranked team in 3-point shooting percentage.

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

Detroit will be relying on Jaden Ivey to provide a strong scoring performance in today’s game against the Houston. Bojan Bogdanovic has been ruled out. So far this season, Bogdanovic has been the team’s leading scorer with an average of 21.6 points per game. Ivey is 2nd on the team with 15.8 points per game, which places him 83.0th in the NBA. In 68 games, he has hit 41.4% of his field goal attempts and is averaging 3.9 rebounds per game.

This season, the Houston offense has had their problems scoring the ball as they are a below average unit at 110.4 points per game. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Rockets are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 98.6 per contest. This slow style of play has made a difference in their overall scoring numbers, as Houston is just 26th in made field goals per game.

On defense, the Rockets will look for some improved play, as they are currently the 30th ranked unit in points allowed per game.

This season, the Rockets offense has primarily worked through Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. who are 1st and 2nd on the team in scoring. In his 71 games, Green is 35th in the NBA at 21.9 points per game. So far, him and Porter Jr. have accounted for 37% of the team’s field goal attempts while combining to average 40.599999999999994 points per contest. In addition to sitting 2nd on the team in scoring, Kevin Porter Jr. is grabbing 5.5 rebounds for Houston to go along with 5.8 assists.