Detroit Pistons vs Philadelphia 76ers Point Spread Picks

The Philadelphia 76ers have had a much better season this year than last season. They are right on the cusp of the NBA playoffs and play-in round. They are 43-34 on the season, which is tied for 6th in the NBA East. They will host the Detroit Pistons. Detroit took a blow with Cade Cunningham sidelined with a collapsed lung injury, and he may miss significant time. The Pistons have a 4-game lead over Boston for the #1 seed with just 5 games to go. The Sixers have been the best cover team when playing back-to-back games, going 12-2 ATS. I like Philadelphia in this one.

Combine the Pistons (-960), the Hawks (-930), and the Bruins (-775) into a 3-team parlay at -264 odds.

On paper, the Pistons' eight-game win streak certainly looks impressive. However, upon closer inspection, you see that Detroit's only victories against teams with a winning record during the streak were against the 6-5 Bulls and the 76ers, 111-108, this past Sunday. Sandwiched among those wins was a 2-point home overtime victory against the 1-11 Wizards. Detroit is living close to the edge. Look for the 76ers, in short revenge, to put a halt to the Pistons' winning streak. No Joel Embiid again for Philadelphia due to a knee injury. The Pistons, though, are in potentially worse physical shape. Detroit managed to defeat the Bulls at home two days ago despite missing four injured starters - Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, and Ausar Thompson. That won't fly against the 76ers, who outscore the Pistons on the season, especially if All-Star guard Cunningham continues to be sidelined with a hip injury. Tyrese Maxey gives the 76ers the best scorer on the court. He is averaging 32.1 points per game, third-best in the NBA. Take the 76ers on the moneyline.

Joel Embiid is off his best game of the season for the 76ers scoring 29 points in 26 minutes to help Philadelphia beat Toronto, 130-120, as 5-point home favorites on Saturday. The bad news for the 76ers is Embiid is doubtful considering it will be the second leg of a back-to-back set. The good news for Philadelphia is the team now has a secret weapon - Trendon Watford. He notched his first career triple-double with 20 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists against the Raptors. It was Watford's first start as a Sixer. Philadelphia also has Tyrese Maxey, the No. 2 scorer in the NBA, who is averaging 33.2 points per game. So the 76ers are definitely live as home underdogs even if Embiid doesn't play. Philadelphia is 3-1 SU and ATS at home. The Pistons are on a five-game winning streak. That has come against weak competition, though. None of the teams Detroit has beaten during this streak have a winning record. The Pistons also may be without forward Isaiah Stewart, who suffered a sprained ankle in the team's win at the Nets two days ago. Take the 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers are starting to get healthier, and they are lucky that their 20-30 overall record has them just one game out of the play-in round. Detroit is no longer sneaking up on anyone. The Pistons won just 14 games last year and enter this game at 25-26 and sit in 7th place in the East. Detroit is hitting the wall, just 4-7 in their last 11 games, and is riding a 2-game losing streak. The Sixers are a different team with Joel Embiid on the floor, and he is expected to play tonight. The Pistons are suddenly the injured team, as four double-digit scorers are listed as either being questionable or out, and this roster isn't deep enough to absorb that. I like Philadelphia in this one.