It has now been legal to bet sports in Michigan for two years. So it is a good time to turn to an expert on wagering on sports, particularly one who knows all about the Detroit Pistons.
John Manzo is a Communications Manager at ESPN, with a focus on betting. He is a Central Michigan University graduate and a former Piston Powered contributor.
We did a Q&A with Manzo through email. It is lightly edited for clarity.
How frustrating is it that all the Detroit sports teams don’t get talked about at work because they are all non-title contenders?
Manzo: It’s been a rough stretch for Detroit sports, that’s for sure. Specifically for the Pistons, though, the discussions should ramp up. Three players in the Rising Stars game with Cade Cunningham winning MVP is great for the future. Add a low-risk trade to land Marvin Bagley III, another top five pick and a healthy roster, and this team is trending toward being in more national discussions.
Career Update: Joining the @espn family as a PR manager next week. Shout out to @darrenrovell for the kind words, and of course, the fake sponsor, @AldiUSA pic.twitter.com/iv2VVrErbi
— John R. Manzo (@JohnRManzo) October 18, 2021
If you are a Pistons fan, and want to bet their games, what would be the best strategy?
Manzo: Well the Betting 101 would be to make sure betting is legal in your state (if you live in the U.S.), and then download a sportsbook application (WynnBet is the favored one at PistonPowered), or get to a local casino.
From there, you can literally bet on so many aspects of a Pistons game to the full game to winning a quarter to player props.
Similar to most everything in betting, research is the first and foremost important factor for me. I like to see what the trends are, where most of the money is on a game and how that impacts the spread of a game
Example: If 80 percent of the money is on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the line is moving in a more challenging situation for the Pistons…that doesn’t make sense and makes me think the Pistons will cover, or win that game outright.
Additionally, betting the Pistons now looks different than it did earlier this season because the team is healthy.
Long story short, though. There are many ways to bet the Pistons, just suggest leading everything with research.
How tough is it to figure out how to bet on a team with such a bad record, obviously the moneyline is probably not an option.
Manzo: There can be value on the moneyline if you feel good about the spot. For example, if a team is on a back-to-back, that’s usually a challenge in the NBA, so maybe that’s a spot Detroit can pull out a ‘W’. Or, similar to the recent game against the Hornets, where the Pistons won. That moneyline was in the +300s. Tripling your money is good value, but it’ll be challenging to find those spots.