The Pistons rebounded well against the Sacramento Kings following a loss to Amen Thompson and the Houston Rockets. Detroit still sits atop the entire Eastern conference and hold the second-best record in the NBA.
Eight players scored ten points or more in the 139 to 116 victory over the Kings. MVP candidate and All-Star starter Cade Cunningham led the entire game in scoring with 29 points and he was the only player on either team to score 20 or more points. The Pistons moved to 33-11 after the win and face a tough Western conference challenge tonight in the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets have defied the odds all 2026 so far. Three-time NBA MVP and Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic hasn’t played in an NBA game since December 29 due to injury. The common trend with the Nuggets during Jokic’s tenure has been how far they drop in term of performance when Jokic isn’t on the floor. This time around, the Nuggets have a win-loss record of 9-5 since Jokic’s injury and look forward to the challenge Detroit brings.
Jan 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) blocks a lay up attempt from Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) during the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images
How to watch Pistons vs. Nuggets tonight
Watch the Detroit Pistons face the Denver Nuggets tonight on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and NBA League Pass at 9:00pm Eastern. In the 11 games Jamal Murray has played in since Jokic’s injury, the star guard is averaging 27.5 points, 8.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and one steal.
Denver is coming off of a two-point victory over the Milwaukee Bucks last Friday night.
Who is available to play tonight?
Pistons veteran guard Caris LeVert will miss tonight’s game with an illness. No one else is currently listed on the Pistons’ injury report.
Injuries and overcoming adversity has been the theme of Denver’s entire season so far. Forward Cam Johnson has been ruled out of tonight’s game with a knee issue. Forward Aaron Gordon will miss tonight’s game with a hamstring injury and guard Christian Braun will miss tonight’s game due to an ankle injury. Guards Jamal Murray and Peyton Watson along with center Jonas Valanciunas are all listed as probable due to lower body injuries. Nikola Jokic reportedly resumed on-court activities earlier this month.
Betting odds and predictions
DraftKings Sportsbook favor the Pistons by a point spread of -6.5 points.
This means a bet on the Pistons spread would need Detroit to win tonight’s game by seven or more points for it to be successful. ESPN Analytics gives Detroit a 73.8% chance to beat the Denver Nuggets tonight.