The Boston Celtics travel to the Little Caesars Arena on Monday night to take on the Detroit Pistons in a battle between the top and bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Boston is 37-16 SU and is on top of the East team standings but is just one game ahead of the second-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and 2.5 games up on the third-place Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics are just 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played and are coming off a home loss to the Phoenix Suns in their most recent appearance.
Detroit is 14-40 SU on the season and they are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference ladder. The Pistons are 23.5 games behind the Celtics and expected to be heeded to the Lottery. Detroit has won just thrice in their last 10 games played and also lost to the Phoenix Suns in their last game played on Sunday.
The Celtics lost for the fourth time in their last 6 games played after suffering a defeat at home against the Phoenix Suns last Friday night. Boston still has the best record in the East but they are just 4-4 SU since Marcus Smart suffered an ankle injury.
Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown combined for 47 points against Phoenix but Boston’s dynamic duo made only a total of 12 shots from 36 total attempts. Tatum and Brown were also just a combined 6-22 from deep. Aside from their stars’ shooting woes, the Celtic were outrebounding 53-43 and committed more turnovers 15-8.
Boston has the third-highest-scoring average in the NBA this season. The Celtics rank just 16th in FG shooting but are 8th in 3pt FG shooting. They are 13th in rebounding but are expected to improve with the return of big man Robert Williams III. Boston is also 8th in scoring defense and 7th in opponents’ field goal percentage allowed.
The Pistons are once again having a lottery season and they might be making a move to get the best shot at Victor Wembanayana. With the trade deadline coming up, the Pistons could be looking to ship away veteran players to further empty the tank. Heading to this game, the Pistons are 1-3 SU in their last 4 games played.
Last Saturday night, the Pistons fell to the Phoenix Suns 116-100. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points while Saddiq Bey added 25 in a losing effort. Meanwhile, Isaiah Stewart added 17 points and 9 rebounds. Detroit allowed Phoenix to get off to a strong start in both halves and could not catch up.
Detroit is just 22nd overall in scoring and they are also just 26th in FG percentage. The Pistons are also just 16th in three-point accuracy and 21st in turnovers. Defensively, they rank 29th in scoring defense and opponents’ FG percentage. Detroit is also 15th in rebounding and 15th in three-point defense.
The Celtics are 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played. Boston is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games played in Detroit.
Boston Celtics SU trends:
Detroit Pistons SU trends:
After shooting 38.7% in a 106-94 home loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Boston Celtics got the weekend off and should be rejuvenized when they visit the Detroit Pistons on Monday, in a battle between the top and bottom teams in the Eastern Conference.
Boston has struggled as of late as they have been held to under 100 points, three times while losing four out of their last six games played. During that stretch, they played without Marcus Smart. The Celtics had a 9-game winning streak before Smart suffered an ankle injury.
Jayson Tatum struggled in that game, making only 3 of 15 shots while scoring 20 points. Tatum is averaging 30.9 points per game this season and is expected to deliver a strong bounce-back performance against the Pistons. In the Celtics’ previous two games versus Detroit, Tatum scored 31 and 43 points, with Boston winning both games.
After beating the Charlotte Hornets 118-112 last Friday, the Pistons fell to the Suns the following day via a score of 116-100. Sadiq Bey scored a combined 47 points in both games, including 7 three-pointers.
After a slow start to his season, Bey has picked up the pace and is averaging 15.0 points per game, third-best on the team among players who have appeared in at least 40 games this season. He is averaging 16.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in his last 10 games played.
The Celtics are 17-9 SU on the road this season. They are also 21-11 SU against teams from the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Pistons are 7-20 SU at home this season. Detroit is just 6-23 SU in their last 29 games against the Eastern Conference.
I would like to think of Boston’s last game as a blip. The Celtics should bounce back and beat the Pistons on Monday night.
Prediction: Boston Celtics
The Celtics are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games played against the Pistons. Boston is also 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games played in Detroit.
Boston Celtics ATS trends:
Detroit Pistons ATS trends:
Celtics
-11 (-110)
Pistons
+11 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 02/06/2023
The Celtics have beaten this same Pistons team twice this season and by an average winning margin of 12.5 points per game. Boston’s high-powered offense has struggled in its last six games. There should be no better way to get going again than playing the Pistons who are next to last in scoring defense.
Detroit also has limited firepower and they have struggled to find consistency in putting up the points on the scoreboard. With the Bucks and Sixers cloning in, I like the Celtics to play like they were pissed off here. This should be an easy win for the Celtics.
Prediction: Celtics -11
The over is 3-0-2 in the last 5 games played between these two teams. The under is also 7-2-3 in their last 12 meetings played in Detroit.
Boston Celtics over/under trends:
Detroit Pistons over/under trends:
Over
229.5 (-110)
Under
229.5 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 02/06/2023
The Pistons are inconsistent on offense and don’t have the kind of firepower to hang with the Celtics. However, for them to have a chance here, they need to keep pace with the Celtics. To do that, they must implement their pace, ranked 11th fastest in the league.
Boston will not care if they beat the Pistons with offense or defense. Heck, they can do with both. But given that their offense has struggled in their last six games played, I’m looking for the Celtics to put on a big offensive effort.
Prediction: Over 229.5
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