Two teams at opposite ends of the Eastern Conference standings will meet on Thursday as the Detroit Pistons (20-56) host the Philadelphia 76ers (46-29). Detroit is 12-26 at home and has the second-worst record in the East. Meanwhile, the Sixers are 25-12 on the road and are third in the East but are just two games back of the No. 1 seed. Philadelphia has won both of this season's previous meetings between the teams but only covered in one of those games.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Sixers are listed as 9.5-point favorites in the latest Pistons vs. 76ers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, with the over-under set at 225. Before you make any 76ers vs. Pistons picks and NBA predictions, you need to see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 24 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 83-51 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,600. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Sixers vs. Pistons, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Pistons vs. Sixers:
- 76ers vs. Pistons spread: 76ers -9.5
- 76ers vs. Pistons over-under: 225 points
- 76ers vs. Pistons money line: 76ers -475, Pistons +360
- PHL: The 76ers are 20-24-1 against the spread in conference games
- DET: The Pistons are 30-17 against the spread in conference games
Why the 76ers can cover
Philadelphia's biggest strength is Detroit's biggest weakness and both involve the charity stripe. The Sixers lead the NBA in made free throws per game while Detroit sends opponents to the line more often than all but one other team. Philly also leads the league in free throw percentage so it's making the most out of every opportunity it has for these free points. By also ranking in the top 10 in three point percentage and committing the second-fewest turnovers per game, Philadelphia's offense should overwhelm Detroit's bottom 10 defense.
As efficient as the 76ers are on offense, they're even better on defense where they have top 10 marks in blocks per game, three point percentage allowed and points allowed per game. The Pistons rank No. 28 in both offensive efficiency and in points per game. Making things even more difficult for Detroit is that it will be without leading scorer Jerami Grant (calf) who scored 27 points when these teams last played.
Why the Pistons can cover
Detroit can create some havoc on both ends of the floor. The Pistons are above-average in free-throw creation (21.9 attempts per game) and free-throw accuracy (78.1 percent), with aggressiveness on the offensive glass. Detroit is in the top eight of the NBA in grabbing 11.1 offensive rebounds per game, and those rebounds lead to 13.8 second-chance points per contest. Philadelphia is below-average on the defensive glass, and the 76ers are No. 23 in the NBA in turnover creation on defense.
On the opposite end, the Pistons create 14.7 turnovers per game, No. 6 in the league. Detroit averages 7.7 steals and 4.8 blocks per game, with the Pistons ranking in the top six of the NBA in second-chance points allowed (12.6 per game) and fast-break points allowed (11.0 per game). Philadelphia is last in the NBA in offensive rebound rate, with bottom-10 marks in 2-point accuracy and assists on offense.
How to make 76ers vs. Pistons picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 220 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Pistons vs. Sixers? And which side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the 76ers vs. Pistons spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
