Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for Monday’s Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers NBA matchup.

There are 10 games of NBA action tipping off across tonight’s Monday night slate. Getting the action started with a 7:00 p.m. ET tip, the Detroit Pistons will face the Indiana Pacers for the second time this season. These teams enter at opposite ends of the NBA spectrum. The Pistons sit at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 14-2 record, while the Pacers have dropped to 2-14 on the season.

Looking at the odds for tonight’s matchup, the Pistons enter as 10.5-point favorites and hold -455 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Pacers hold +350 odds of getting the outright victory, with the game total set at 235.5 points.

This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Monday night matchup.

Pistons at Pacers Preview

The Detroit Pistons have turned a new page as a franchise and look the part of real deal contenders. After posting a 44-38 record and qualifying for the playoffs last year for the first time since 2018-19, they have hit the ground running again. Detroit is posting an Eastern Conference-leading 14-2 record and enters on a 12-game winning streak, with its last loss coming on Oct. 27th to the Cavaliers. The Pistons are 12-4 against the spread, and the over is 9-6-1 in their games played.

Cade Cunningham has flourished into a true NBA superstar, averaging 27.4 points, 9.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. His backcourt mate, Jaden Ivey, made his debut in the previous game and finished with 10 points and two assists in just 15 minutes of action. Ivey is considered probable for tonight’s action for reconditioning.

In his absence, Jalen Duren has stepped up in a major way and looks like an All-Star in his own right. The 22-year-old is posting averages of 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds. Duncan Robinson has added a nice pop of perimeter production, connecting on 44.0% of his three-point attempts on 7.3 perimeter attempts per game. Tobias Harris, Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, Isaiah Stewart, Daniss Jenkins and Caris LeVert round out most of their notable depth.

The Pistons rank 11th in the league in scoring at 119.5 points per game and 10th in offensive rating. Most of their damage is done inside the arc, with Detroit ranking 28th in three-point volume and 18th in efficiency. Defensively, opponents are scoring 112.4 points per game against them, which ranks fourth in the league, and they are posting the second-best defensive rating. Detroit also ranks fourth in opponent field-goal percentage.

It has been a nightmare start to the season for the Indiana Pacers, with the reality of a gap year setting in. They are 2-14 on the season, with their pair of victories coming over the Hornets and Warriors. Tyrese Haliburton remains sidelined with his Achilles tear, and Myles Turner left for the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason, leaving the team with a much different identity than the NBA Finals team last season. Indiana is 7-9 against the spread, and the under has cashed in 10 of the 16 games it has played.

Bennedict Mathurin leads the team in scoring at 26.4 points along with 7.2 rebounds, but he has played in just five matchups this season. Pascal Siakam adds 24.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists, while Andrew Nembhard has made the most of his expanded opportunity with averages of 19.0 points and 6.4 assists per game. Aaron Nesmith, Kam Jones, Obi Toppin, Johnny Furphy and Quenton Jackson are each also sidelined with injuries. Their remaining available depth is headlined by Jarace Walker, T.J. McConnell, Isaiah Jackson, Ben Sheppard and Jay Huff.

The Pacers are averaging 110.1 points per game, which ranks 27th in the league, and they rank dead last in team field-goal percentage, dead last in three-point percentage and 29th in offensive rating. Defensively, opponents are scoring 122.9 points per game. This ranks 26th in the league, and they are also 23rd in defensive rating, 24th in opponent field-goal percentage and 27th in opponent rebounds allowed.

Pistons at Pacers Prediction, Best Bet

There is talent on this Pacers roster, but Tyrese Haliburton is the engine that makes them go. Without him, Indiana’s offense has been left stalling out, and it has been held to 110 points or fewer in nine games this season. It has scored as few as 83 points in a game this year. This outlook will only be more difficult against a stingy Detroit defense that does not back down to anyone.

These teams faced off once already this season, with Detroit producing a 127-112 victory exactly one week ago. This matchup took place in Detroit, and tonight’s matchup will be played in Indiana. But home-court advantage is not enough to make up for the gap in talent. This 112-point tally by the Pacers was also their fifth-highest scoring total this year. Indiana did not have a lead past the opening few minutes, with the deficit not falling below double digits since the second quarter and extending to as large as 24.

Expect Detroit to have an even better time imposing itself in this matchup, with its current form in mind. It would take a slip-up in intensity from the Pistons for Indiana to have a chance. They have not been a team to show this lack of care this year, with the young roster playing with energy and toughness on an every-night basis. Cade Cunningham will provide matchup problems for Indiana, and he has masterfully pulled the strings of this Detroit offense.

The Pacers are still playing with admirable effort and will compete out of the gates. But Andrew Nembhard has looked overextended in a pure point guard role, which has harmed the offense. The Pistons are better on both sides of the ball and playing with a purpose. Expect this game to reach blowout territory in the early stages. Count on the Pistons covering the spread for the 13th time this season and beating the Pacers by more than 10.5 points for the second straight time.

Best Bet: Pistons -10.5 (-105)