Wizards vs. Pistons prediction and odds for Monday, Nov. 27 (Bet the total in the Motor City)
By Jovan Alford
The battle for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft will take center stage tonight as the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons will face off in the Motor City. The Wizards are on a nine-game losing streak, while the Pistons have lost 13 straight games.
Bettors will have a lot of fun betting on this matchup as the total is over 235.5, and the Pistons are 2.5-point favorites at home.
The Pistons were supposed to take this sizable leap with new head coach Monty Williams, but that hasn’t happened yet, almost 20 games into this season. Detroit has a good core of young players with Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, and Ausar Thompson, but they are still learning how to win at the NBA level.
Meanwhile, the Wizards don’t have that excuse, as they have more than a few NBA veterans on their team. Washington is one of the worst defensive teams in the Association and has struggled to figure out its identity. The Jordan Poole experience hasn’t been great for the Wizards, but at least they still have Kyle Kuzma.
Here are the odds and our best bet for Washington-Detroit:
If basketball fans want to bet on tonight’s game, they can do so on FanDuel sportsbook, which is offering $150 in bonus bets if their team wins when new users bet $5 on any moneyline.
Wizards vs. Pistons odds, spread and total
Wizards vs. Pistons how to watch
- Date: Monday, Nov. 27
- Game Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Little Caesars Arena
- How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports DET, MNMT
- Wizards Record: 2-14
- Pistons Record: 2-14
Wizards vs. Pistons injury reports
Washington Wizards injury report
- Jordan Poole (questionable, ankle)
- Ryan Rollins (out, quad)
- Delon Wright (out, knee)
Detroit Pistons injury report
- Bojan Bogdanovic (out, calf)
- Joe Harris (out, shoulder)
- Monte Morris (out, quad)
Wizards vs. Pistons key players to watch
Washington Wizards
Kyle Kuzma: The 28-year-old Kuzma is coming off a quiet performance against the Hawks over the weekend with 12 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. Heading into that game, Kuzma scored 20-plus points in three straight games.
The 6-foot-9 forward has played well this month, even though the Wizards haven’t played their best basketball. Kuzma is scoring 23 points per game on 47.2% shooting from the field and 39.5% from three-point range. The Wizards need Kuzma to drop 20-25 points tonight because they cannot depend on Poole’s offense.
Jordan Poole: Poole’s scoring has increased over the last three games, which is great to see despite his low shooting percentages. The 24-year-old guard is averaging 26.7 points per game on 41.8% shooting from the field and 30.8% from three-point range. The Wizards did not have Poole in their last game against the Hawks but hope to have him back on the floor tonight.
Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham: The former No. 1 overall pick has been the Pistons’ best offensive player this season. Cunningham is averaging 22 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game. The young point guard is the only player on the Pistons scoring 20 points per game this season. The 22-year-old Cunningham hasn’t shot the ball well this season (40.3 FG%, 33 3PT%), but he still finds a way to get his points.
Jalen Duren: The 20-year-old doesn’t get a ton of attention with the amount of great young players in the Association, but he’s on an upward trajectory in his second season. Duren is averaging a double-double this season (12.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG), which is an improvement from his rookie campaign (9.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG).
Duren returned to the hardwood on Nov. 24 against the Pacers after missing the previous five games. The second-year center had 13 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists in 28 minutes off the bench.
Wizards vs. Pistons prediction and pick
money lineTonight’s matchup is a game where you want to stay away from the spread and moneyline, as both teams are riding extended losing streaks. Therefore, the best bet is the total, as you have two of the worst-scoring defenses in the NBA this season.
The Wizards are ranked 29th in opponent points per game (125.1), while the Pistons are ranked 22nd (117.2). Washington is producing 115.1 points per game and playing at the second-fastest pace in the NBA. Meanwhile, Detroit struggles to score points (109.8 ppg) and doesn’t play at a fast pace (99.5 – 14th in the NBA).
We shouldn’t be worried about Kuzma and Poole getting up their shot attempts tonight, as the Pistons are still trying to figure some things out. At the same time, this a good spot for Detroit’s offense to get additional contributions from other players not named Cade Cunningham.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.