The Detroit Pistons will take on the Houston Rockets in an interconference matchup on Friday. Detroit is 3-35 overall and 2-16 at home, while Houston is 18-18 overall and 3-12 on the road. The Rockets defeated the Pistons, 136-113, at home on January 1 in their first matchup of the season.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Houston is a 7.5-point favorite in the latest Pistons vs. Rockets odds, according to the SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 227 points. Before entering any Rockets vs. Pistons picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer simulation model.
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 five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Houston vs. Detroit. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Rockets vs. Pistons:
Pistons vs. Rockets spread: Rockets -7.5
Pistons vs. Rockets over/under: 227 points
Pistons vs. Rockets money line: Pistons: +242, Rockets: -303
HOU: The Rockets are 4-0 in their last four games against the Pistons
DET: The Pistons are 3-2 ATS as a road underdog over their last five games
Pistons vs. Rockets picks: See picks at SportsLine
What to know about the Rockets
The Rockets have dropped back-to-back games after knocking off the Milwaukee Bucks, 112-108, on Saturday. Alperen Sengun, a 6-foot-11 center, has been a dominant force inside lately, averaging nine rebounds per game and recording at least nine boards in each of his last three games. The No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft is averaging 21.6 points per game this season, including 26.2 ppg over his last 10 contests.
Point guard Fred VanVleet has added 17.6 points and 8.5 assists per game, including 18.8 points and 9.8 assists over his last five contests. Teams are shooting 56% against the Pistons over their last three contests, the highest clip in the NBA over that span, and Detroit has allowed at least 130 points in five of their its six games, including three straight. The Rockets are also 11-2 ATS over their last 13 games against a team with a 45% win percentage or lower, and they are 8-2-1 ATS over their last 11 games as the favorite. However, Houston will be without Dillon Brooks (oblique) and Tari Eason (leg) on Friday. See which team to pick here.
What to know about the Pistons
The Pistons have been historically bad to begin the season. They set the NBA single-season record with a 28-game losing streak this season, which is tied for the longest losing streak of all time when including stretches from multiple seasons. The Pistons (3-35) have lost 34 of their last 35 games.
Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, has been one of the few bright spots for Detroit this season. The 22-year-old is averaging 22.8 points and 7.3 assists this season, ranking 10th in the NBA in assists per game. He’ll be out (knee) Friday as another huge blow for the Pistons after Cunningham had scored at least 30 points in five of his last seven games. Center Jalen Duren was the team’s leading scorer with 21 points on Wednesday with Cunningham out. See which team to pick here.
How to make Pistons vs. Rockets picks
The model has simulated Rockets vs. Pistons 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Pistons vs. Rockets, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rockets vs. Pistons spread you need to jump on Friday, all from the model on a 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, and find out.