The Detroit Pistons (2-23) travel to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks (17-7) on Saturday, December 16th. This game will be played at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pistons are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pacers. Tip-off is set for 6:00 ET.
Pistons vs Bucks
The Pistons Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
The Pistons were defeated by the 76ers in the most recent game, concluding with a score of 124-92. Alongside their straight-up loss, the Pistons couldn’t cover as +15.5 point underdogs. Concerning the over/under, the total of 216 points remained below the established over/under line of 234.5.
With a 2-23 record, the Pistons will need to bring their A-game in order to come away with a win as they are +18 point underdogs. Currently, they are in 15th place in the Eastern Conference and are in 5th place in the Central Division.
Detroit comes in with an overall ATS record of 8-16 so far this season. During this season, Detroit has a 0-2 record against the spread as favorites and 8-14 as underdogs.
The Bucks Are Coming Off A Win
In their latest game against the Pacers, Giannis Antetokounmpo was the top scorer for the Bucks’ offense, scoring 64 points and shooting 20/28 from the field. The Bucks picked up a 140-126 win, and Damian Lillard also added 21 points which was 2nd on the team.
As we head into today’s game, the Bucks have an overall record of 17-7 and are riding a two game winning streak. When playing at home, the Bucks are 12-2 compared to 5-5 on the road this season.
Milwaukee comes in with an overall ATS record of 10-14 so far this season. When playing on the road, the Bucks hold an ATS record of 5-5 in contrast to a 5-9 record against the spread when playing at home.
Pistons Offense Breakdown
Detroit has recorded an average of 108.1 points per game (28th) throughout 25 games games. So far, Detroit is averaging 100 possessions per game, making them one of the more up-tempo teams in the league. Even though the team adopts an up-tempo pace, there is room for improvement in their scoring efficiency, as they rank 23rd in the league in terms of overall field goal percentage, currently at 51%.
Bucks Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Milwaukee offense is the 2nd ranked unit in the NBA, at 123.3 points per contest. The Bucks come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 14.1 made 3’s per game. One area that the Milwaukee offense will continue to rely on is their ability to get to the free-throw line. So far, they are the 4th ranked unit in made free-throw per game.
Pistons Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Pistons’ defense is giving up an average of 119.4 points per contest.
Detroit’s defense is currently forcing 16.3 turnovers per game, which is 29th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 14th in blocked shots, with an average of 5.4 rejections per game.
Bucks Team Defense
Facing Detroit, the Bucks aims for a better defensive performance, given their current average of 119.5 points allowed per game (24th).
Opponents are hitting 53.6% of their two-point field goal attempts this season, and they’re also connecting on 35.4% of their three-point attempts.
Key Players For The Pistons And Bucks
For today’s matchup, we project Bojan Bogdanovic to lead the scoring for the Pistons, putting up 16 points and shooting at a rate of 6/11. This season, he is averaging 20 points per game along with 2.3 boards.
As for Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo is projected to be the primary scorer for the Bucks. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 25, and adding 9 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 62.3% and is averaging 32 points per contest.
Pistons vs Bucks Trends
- Across the Pistons last ten road games, the team averaged 107 points per game while allowing 123. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 3-7, while going 0-10 straight-up.
- In their last ten games at home, the Bucks have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 122 points per game in this stretch.
- The last ten games that Detroit was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 2-7-1 while going 0-10 straight up.
- As the betting favorite, the Bucks have an ATS record of 3-2 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.
Pistons vs Bucks Prediction
In this Bucks vs. Bucks matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Pistons at +18. While we project the Bucks to win 112-106, our recommendation is to bet on the Pistons for the point-spread.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 240.5 and given that our model is projecting 218 points between the teams, we like the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:December 16, 2023 Bucks, Pistons, Uncategorized