Pistons vs. Nets odds, line: 2020 NBA picks, Jan. 30 predictions

January 29, 2020 Archie Maraasin
The Detroit Pistons visit the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday evening in a battle between teams with their sights on the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. However, both teams have struggled to find the win column recently. In fact, Brooklyn enters Wednesday’s matchup having lost six of its last seven, while Detroit has lost three straight. On the injury front, Andre Drummond (wrist) is questionable, with Blake Griffin and Luke Kennard still sidelined for Detroit.

Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center. Sportsbooks list the Nets as 6.5-point home favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 226.5 in the latest Pistons vs. Nets odds. Before you make any Nets vs. Pistons picks or NBA predictions, see what SportsLine’s advanced computer model has to say.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and last season it returned a whopping $4,280 on its top-rated NBA spread and money line picks. It’s already returned almost $3,000 in profit on all top-rated NBA picks during the 2019-20 season and entered Week 15 on a blistering 33-16 run on all top-rated NBA spread picks. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Pistons vs. Nets. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Nets vs. Pistons:

  • Pistons vs. Nets spread: Brooklyn -6.5
  • Pistons vs. Nets over-under: 226.5 points
  • Pistons vs. Nets money line: Nets -270, Pistons +222
  • DET: The Pistons are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games.
  • BKN: The Nets have failed to cover the spread in six of their last seven games.

Why the Pistons can cover

The model knows that the Pistons are short-handed but Detroit does have strengths. The Pistons are an above-average offensive rebounding team that also creates free throws at a high rate. Detroit’s best characteristic is perhaps the avoidance of fouls, keeping opponents away from the free throw line.

The Pistons should also be able to capitalize on Brooklyn’s weakness in ball security, as the Nets are one of the NBA’s worst teams at turning the ball over. On the other end, the Nets don’t generate many turnovers defensively, allowing the Pistons to avoid disaster in an area that is traditionally weak for Detroit.

Why the Nets can cover

The model also understands that the Nets are the more talented team as currently constructed. Kyrie Irving is the player on either team, averaging 27.2 points and 6.7 assists per game this season, and he is flanked by another strong perimeter option in Spencer Dinwiddie, who is averaging 21.2 points and 6.5 assists per game in his own right.

Brooklyn can also rely on its perimeter shooting, with Joe Harris knocking down 40.4 percent of his three-point attempts and myriad options to provide space around Irving and Dinwiddie on the perimeter.

How to make Pistons vs. Nets picks

SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, with Taurean Prince projected to exceed his scoring average for Brooklyn. On the Detroit side, Svi Mykhailiuk is also projected to score more than his season-long average. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations.

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