The Detroit Pistons are looking to keep the good times rolling against the Philadelphia 76ers. Detroit and Philly are the two best teams in the East, and the Pistons have already notched one win against the Sixers this season. In fact, the 106-93 win in October was Detroit’s sixth consecutive victory against Philly. Tonight, they go for lucky No. 7. That loss against the Pistons also happens to be Philadelphia’s lone blemish on the season. In that matchup, the Pistons were without the services of
Jalen Duren. It worked out because they were able to rely on the all-around goodness of Paul Reed. It also didn’t hurt that Joel Embiid missed that first matchup to rest.
Tonight, the Pistons will have no such luck. They are still missing All-Star big man Duren, and tonight the Sixers will employ the services of their former MVP in Embiid. While Detroit has been playing amazing basketball, they have been vulnerable down low, and Embiid will be the best interior big man they’ve faced since they lost Duren to a hamstring injury.
One benefit in Detroit’s favor is that this is a nationally televised game on ESPN, and it seems like Cade Cunningham loves to come up big when the lights are brightest for national television. Cunningham is also coming off of perhaps his most dominant performance of the season, scoring 33 points in just 26 minutes of action. If the game against the Hornets was close instead of a 30-point blowout late, if seems like Cunningham could have gone for 45 points.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: ESPN
Odds: Pistons -2.5
Projected Lineups
Detroit Pistons (6-1)
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Paul Reed
Philadelphia 76ers (7-1)
Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid
