The Detroit Pistons bring an eight-game winning streak into Friday night’s NBA Cup Group Play matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. One of those eight wins was in Philadelphia on Sunday, with Detroit squeaking out a 111-108 win.
The Pistons are now 10-2 on the season and 5-1 at home, while the 76ers are 7-4 overall and 3-2 on the road.
There are injury questions on Detroit’s side, though, with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren both questionable for Friday’s matchup.
The oddsmakers have the Pistons as home favorites at the best betting sites for Friday night.
Let’s take a look at the odds, players to watch and my prediction for Friday night’s matchup.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread
Moneyline
Total
76ers Injury Report
Pistons Injury Report
Tyrese Maxey OVER 41.5 Pts + Reb + Ast (-122)
It appeared as if the 76ers’ window was closing with the injuries to Joel Embiid piling up, but then entered Tyrese Maxey. The 2020 first-round pick has seen improvements in each season of his career, earning him the Most Improved Player award in the 2023-24 campaign.
He hit a career-high 26.3 points per game last season to go along with 6.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds. It’s still early in the season, but he’s on pace to blast past all three of those numbers.
Maxey is averaging 32.1 points, 8.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds through 11 games this season. That’s 45 PRA per game.
The guard has gone Over 41.5 PRA in nine of 11 games this season, including 44 PRA on Sunday against the Pistons at home. He’ll take over the offense tonight with Embiid still out.
Even though I expect Maxey to have a big game, I don’t want to get in the way of the Pistons right now. They’ve won eight straight games, covering the spread in six of them.
Philadelphia’s two recent road wins came as favorites in Washington and Brooklyn, while losing by two in Chicago and 11 in Cleveland. The Pistons were able to win by three in Philadelphia, so the home-court advantage should give Detroit the extra push needed to cover the -5.5 spread.
Pick: Pistons -5.5 (-110)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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