Two teams on opposite ends of the Eastern Conference standings will battle it out in an NBA Cup group stage matchup at Barclays Center on Friday. The Detroit Pistons will visit the Brooklyn Nets as 10.5-point favorites. It will be the first game of the tournament for both teams.
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren powered the Pistons to their fourth straight win earlier this week, and only the Chicago Bulls are ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings. They have a top-five defense early in the 2025-26 campaign and will face the NBA’s second-worst scoring defense, so, understandably, they’re expected to run away with this one.
Here’s our full betting breakdown for the game ahead of tip-off.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread
Moneyline
Total
Pistons Injury Report
Nets Injury Report
Pistons Best NBA Prop Bet
Thompson is averaging career highs in rebounds (6.9) and assists (3.3) per game. His shooting still needs work, but he remains tenacious on the glass and has shown some impressive flashes as a tertiary playmaker. Detroit will need to lean on him more with Harris out, and no team is giving up more assists per game (30.9) than the Nets this season. Thompson could hit this prop with just rebounds and has reached double-digits twice this year.
The Pistons are among the cream of the crop with a 6-2 record against the spread. They’ve covered in four straight games, and recent Nets injuries will make things even easier on them in this matchup.
The Nets need to replace the 21.4 points per game they’ll lose with Thomas out, and they don’t have many quality options with a bottom-five offense. More shots for Michael Porter Jr. won’t solve the issue.
Brooklyn doesn’t have the personnel to start a starting point guard that’s ready to run the offense full-time. Bank on the Pistons covering in a fifth straight contest.
Pick: Pistons -10.5 (-108 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and win your first $5 bet to get $300 in bonus bets instantly +3 months of NBA League Pass.
