The Detroit Pistons have been proving themselves against the NBA’s best. Now, it’s time to show that they can keep their focus versus one of the league’s worst teams, an old rival on a seven-game losing streak. The 24-32 Chicago Bulls play host to the 41-13 Pistons inside United Center at 8 p.m. EST Saturday.
Casual viewers who’ve seen the Bulls play lately may assume the Windy City team is tanking. If the Bulls are tanking, it’s not necessarily on purpose. Chicago’s shaky defense and inconsistent shooting have led to the Bulls plunging out of contention for a playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have zero players ranked among the top 50 scorers of the NBA. Their defense is ranked 27th in the league.
Even the rival media is raving about Detroit’s dominance over New York this season. The Pistons can brag about some rare unconditional praise from the New York Post‘s recapper Stefan Bondy, who wrote after Thursday’s showdown, “For the third time in three matchups this season, Detroit punked New York and reinforced its position atop the East, prompting boos from the MSG crowd … (Detroit guard) Cade Cunningham gave the Knicks fits, per usual.” Detroit is now going for its fifth victory in a row.
Detroit Pistons vs Chicago Bulls Betting Trends The Detroit Pistons have won four consecutive times.The Chicago Bulls have lost seven consecutive games.Detroit is 5-1 against Chicago in the last six matchups. Detroit Pistons vs Chicago Bulls Injury ReportsForward Isaac Jones is questionable with an undisclosed injury.Center Zach Collins is out with a toe injury.Forward Noa Essengue is out for the season with a shoulder injury.Detroit Pistons vs Chicago Bulls Predictions and Picks
If you’re thinking about a bet on the Pistons to cover the spread, it’s unwise to look at the Pistons’ season ledger against cupcake teams, or at least to do so with all cupcakes on the shelf. Consider that a tanking team like Washington isn’t comparable to Chicago’s worst efforts, even when they’re bad enough to lose to Washington. You have to give the Bulls credit for trying to win. If the contest is close this Saturday, the Bulls won’t necessarily pull back. But with Cunningham able to pop off, a cover for Detroit always lurks.
How has Detroit played against losing teams that actually try? Detroit covered against Chicago in the clubs’ last meeting in January, but the Pistons needed the Bulls to turn the ball over 17 times to win by a 15-point margin. Detroit did not cover the spread against the Trail Blazers or Mavericks in December.
Cunningham’s under-total-points prop bet could be the best “proposition” for a winning wager. Recreation betting will drive his O/U line upward against Chicago’s defense based on the 42-point performance. However, there’s no reason for head coach JB Bickerstaff to overuse his key man at this time.