The Detroit Pistons are hoping to steal a win on Black Friday in Los Angeles vs. the Clippers.
The Pistons (4-14) are on a four-game losing streak after dropping games to the Warriors, Lakers, Heat and Bucks, three of which they probably should have won.
The young team is still learning how to close games and pretty much gave three of them away before predictably getting killed by the Bucks. It’s to be expected with such an inexperienced roster, but the losses were still frustrating, as the season would look a lot different if they had taken those three very winnable games.
The Clippers (10-8) are on a bit of a skid of their own, losing three of four, most recently against Dallas.
The Pistons are underdogs in this one, which will kick off in the afternoon before the players have even had a chance to digest their leftovers. Here are the odds, some predictions and best fantasy bets.
Pistons vs. Clippers: Odds, spread and over/under
According to WynnBET, the Detroit Pistons are 11.5 underdogs on the road against the Clippers.
I don’t normally take the points, but I like the Pistons to at least stay close in this one, so 11.5 seems a bit high to me.
The money lines are set at +500 for the Pistons and -700 for the Clippers. There is a chance Detroit will be thinking about the upcoming rematch with the Lakers and get blown out in this one on the road, so this is a long shot bet for a reason.
The over/under is 206.5, which is pretty low even for the offensively challenged Pistons. These afternoon games post-Thanksgiving are sometimes ugly affairs, so bettor beware on this one. I like the over, but I wish I knew how much turkey each individual player ate yesterday.
Predictions and best fantasy bets
The Clippers recently lost a game to the woeful Pelicans, so I am hoping they look past the Pistons to their upcoming re-match with Golden State.
The Pelicans gave Detroit the formula for beating the Clippers, which is to stop Paul George. Nicolas Batum will be out for this one, and Kawhi Leonard is still out with his torn ACL, so if Saddiq Bey and company can slow Paul down, the Pistons have a fighting chance.
I love Cade Cunningham in this game, as he has favorable matchups with the Clippers’ guards Reggie Jackson and Eric Bledsoe. Jackson is a terrible defender and Bledsoe doesn’t have the size to bother Cade, so I really like Cunningham to have a big game.
He’s been in a terrible shooting slump but has been stuffing the stat sheet anyway, so he is always a safe bet.
If you are looking for a cheap fantasy bet with potential, look at Saben Lee, who got extended run when Cory Joseph turned his ankle in the last game. If CoJo is limited, expect Lee to be out there and we know he can put up numbers.
I also like Hamidou Diallo as a low-cost play with potential, as he’ll be matched up against Luke Kennard and could end up with a big game on the boards.
Pistons vs. Clippers: How to watch
You can watch this one on Bally Sports Detroit or listen on 97.1 The Ticket. This is an afternoon game that tips off at 3:30 PM ET, the first game in a full slate of NBA action.