Nets vs. Pistons NBA expert prediction and odds for Thursday, March 7 (Detroit can cover)
By Peter Dewey
Two teams outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference face off in Detroit on Thursday night as the Brooklyn Nets visit Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons.
This won’t be an easy game for either team given Brooklyn’s struggles at times this season (4-6 in its last 10), but the Pistons are under .500 at home in the 2023-24 campaign despite often being set as major underdogs.
Does that give Brooklyn the edge on the road?
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Let’s break down the best odds, trends and pick for this Eastern Conference clash:
Nets vs. Pistons odds, spread and total
Nets vs. Pistons how to watch
- Date: Thursday, March 7
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Little Caesars Arena
- How to watch (TV): YES Network, Bally Sports Detroit
- Nets record: 25-37
- Pistons record: 9-52
Nets vs. Pistons injury reports
Brooklyn Nets injury report
- Jacob Gilyard – out
- Cameron Johnson – out
- Jaylen Martin – out
- Day’Ron Sharpe – questionable
- Ben Simmons – out
- Cam Thomas – out
- Dariq Whitehead – out
Detroit Pistons injury report
- Buddy Boeheim – out
- Tosan Evbuomwan – out
- Quentin Grimes – out
- Jared Rhoden – out
Nets vs. Pistons key players to watch
Brooklyn Nets
Mikal Bridges: The Nets seem content to build around Mikal Bridges, but he’s had his ups and downs as a No. 1 option. Despite a 38-point game on March 2 against Atlanta, Bridges is averaging just 16.0 points per game over his last seven games, scoring over 15 points just once in that stretch. Can the weak Pistons defense serve as a spot for him to bounce back?
Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham: A former No. 1 overall pick, Cunningham has been a major bright spot for the Pistons in an otherwise tough season. He’s averaging 22.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game while shooting a career-high 36.0 percent from 3. Cunningham has scored 20 or more points in six of his last seven games.
Nets vs. Pistons prediction and pick
The Nets are down several key rotation players in this game, including two of their best offensive players in Johnson and Thomas.
That’s a massive concern for a team that hasn’t exactly looked great over its last 10 games, and the team has one of the worst against the spread marks as a road favorite, going 2-4.
The Pistons, on the other hand, are slightly over .500 as home dogs (12-11-1 ATS), and they may be able to pull off the upset in this one.
Over their last 10 games, these teams rank 25th (Brooklyn) and 29th (Detroit) in net rating, and it’s worth noting that the Nets’ net rating on the road (-7.3) is very close to Detroit’s at home (-7.8) this season.
With Bridges struggling as of late, I have a hard time trusting Brooklyn when he’s going to have all of the defensive attention from Detroit on him tonight.
Take a shot on the Pistons at home.
Pick: Pistons +2 (-110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.