The Philadelphia 76ers (20-30) and Detroit Pistons (25-26) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EST at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
The 76ers are 4.5-point favorites over the Pistons on the spread (76ers -4.5), with the over/under set at 226 points. Philadelphia is a -180 favorite to win outright, while Detroit is +150 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my 76ers vs. Pistons predictions and NBA picks for Friday, February 7.
76ers vs. Pistons Picks, Prediction
Spread
Philadelphia is a difficult team to power rate, given the injuries to key players for much of the season. And since my model only has the 76ers slightly ahead of the Pistons, laying four points with the visitors on the road might be a bridge too far.
Moneyline
The moneyline does offer some intrigue, with -180 available at DraftKings. It's worth noting that the 76ers are 9-1 in their past 10 games against the Pistons, and this is one of those rare spots where they can field a somewhat healthy team.
Over/Under
Although both games this season finished under the total, I still lean toward the over as my model projects 225.6 points.
My Pick: 76ers Moneyline (-180 at DraftKings)
76ers vs Pistons Odds
| 76ers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -108 | 226 -110o / -110u | -180 |
| Pistons Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -112 | 226 -110o / -110u | +150 |
- 76ers vs. Pistons spread: 76ers -4.5
- 76ers vs. Pistons over/under: 226 points
- 76ers vs. Pistons moneyline: 76ers -180, Pistons +150
- 76ers vs. Pistons best bet: 76ers ML
76ers vs. Pistons Preview
Despite a disappointing campaign, the 76ers are just a half-game behind the Bulls for the final play-in spot. And with 32 games remaining in the season, Philadelphia still has plenty of time to make up ground.
The 76ers will need to keep their players healthy to have any chance of forcing their way into the playoff picture.
Many of their struggles this season have been due to the absence of key players like Joel Embiid and Paul George. Embiid has already missed 36 games and George has been out for 19.
Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers' starting point guard, has also been impacted by the injury bug and has missed seven games.
You have to go back to January 4 to find the last time all three players were on the court together. The good news is that the results have been pretty good when that trio is available. The bad news is that they just haven't played a lot of games together.
Friday's trip to Detroit could mark just the 11th time this season that Embiid, George and Maxey will share the court. The 76ers are 7-3 straight up in this spot and have won their past five games when listed as favorites.
We've already highlighted the 76ers' recent success in this series against the Pistons and the likelihood of that trend increasing is further strengthened by the potential return of George and Embiid to the lineup.
With Philadelphia finally getting a favorable injury report, we must be careful to not overthink things too much.
As a result, the 76ers moneyline offers tremendous value — even if we have to swallow a bit of juice.
76ers vs. Pistons Prediction
Putting together our BetRivers same-game parlay could be tricky, given the limited court time of the 76ers' three best players. And with only 10 games together, the trio might still be trying to establish their roles.
However, one thing that remains clear is that Embiid is the alpha male in the group. After missing roughly a month on the court, Embiid returned to post a triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against the Mavericks in his first game back.
Philadelphia's commitment to continuously feed him the ball despite the long layoff should bode well for Embiid to exceed his points + rebounds + assists (PRA) prop of 42.5.
Embiid has gone over this projection in four straight games and in his past four meetings against the Pistons. Given his efficiency, the 76ers' big man is always a threat to post a double-double, making it almost a no-brainer to include with his PRA prop.
Combining the two Embiid props with a 76ers victory helps boost our same-game parlay odds up to +230.
Best Bet: 76ers Moneyline (-180 at DraftKings)
Same-Game Parlay Picks
76ers Moneyline (-180)
Joel Embiid Over 43.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-105)
Joel Embiid to Record a Double-Double (-145)
Parlay Payout: +232
Pistons vs 76ers Betting Trends
