Five straight losses for the Wizards have dropped the team to 30-35 and 3.5 games back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. In addition to dropping five in a row, they also failed to cover the spread in each. The Wizards—and their bettors—will hope the team can halt both trends as they host Detroit on Monday.
You can bet on NBA odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Wizards are 16-17 ATS at home this season and while that’s not particularly inspiring for bettors, it’s much better than the Pistons’ 15-21 ATS mark on the road.
The more recent trends, however, support the Pistons to cover this one. Detroit has covered in seven of its last ten games while bettors have lost out in five straight Washington games.
WHEN THE DETROIT PISTONS ARE ON OFFENSE
The Pistons are an average offensive team that’s a bit below average in terms of field goal percentage.
Detroit, however, does make up for it with opportunities, excelling in rebounding.
Over its last four games, the Pistons’ offense has stepped it up, despite playing three of those four games on the road. During that span, the team’s averaged 113.3 PPG, well over its season average of 102.
On Saturday against Philadelphia, Detroit had all five starters score at least 19 points with Marcus Morris and Andre Drummond each recording double-doubles. For Morris, it was a result of 24-points and 10-assists while Drummond went for 15-rebounds to go along with his 19-points.
Overall, all five starters are averaging 13.8 PPG or better with Reggie Jackson leading the way with 19.2. In general, the team is quite balanced, at least up front, but watch how well Detroit’s reserves perform.
Detroit will need production off the bench to cover the spread against Washington. If the Pistons’ get out to an early lead but the bench struggles, go ahead and fade Detroit and look for it to wilt late.
WHEN THE WASHINGTON WIZARDS ARE ON OFFENSE
The Wizards are about on par with the Pistons in terms of scoring with 102.5 PPG, but they’re a better shooting team, ranked No. 11 in field goal percentage and in shooting percentage behind the arc.
For Washington, the key to beating the Pistons will be its ability to rebound, creating second chances on offense and cutting Detroit’s chances short on the defensive end of the court.
Overall this season, the Wizards are ranked dead last in the NBA in rebounds with 40.7 per game, Detroit meanwhile has averaged 5.5 more per game thanks in large part to Drummond’s 15 RPG.
Keep an eye on the rebounding battle. If the Wizards can pull down some key rebounds early, back them to cover the readjusted spread.
Individually, watch Marcin Gortat in his matchup with Drummond. Gortat is averaging 13.4 PPG as one of five players with at least 10 PPG. John Wall tops off the team’s scorers with 20.1 PPG, but Washington’s depth is stronger than Detroit’s. It goes eight deep with players scoring at least 8.5 PPG and 10 deep in players scoring at least seven.
BETTING TRENDS AND MATCHUPS
A month ago, Washington took the meeting between these two basketball teams 98-86, easily covering the closing 2-point spread.
In that game, the Wizards outrebounded Detroit and found themselves with nine more chances at the free throw line, helping to pad the lead.
Gortat matched up well against Drummond, shooting 60 percent from the floor, notching 15-points and nine rebounds. John Wall, meanwhile, took care of business inside with a game high 22-points along with eight assists and eight rebounds.
On the other side, the Pistons saw their starting five struggle. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, in particular, had an off night shooting 1-for-11 and 0-for-5 from behind the arc.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards will square off Monday, March 14, 2015, at 8 p.m. ET at the Verizon Center. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
