The Detroit Pistons (2-5) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (5-0) Monday. Tip-off from Fiserv Forum is set for 8 p.m. ET.
The Pistons come into this tough matchup with just 1 win in their last 6 games. After starting their season with a victory vs. the Orlando Magic they dropped 5 straight games before picking up a much-needed 128-114 win over the defending champion Golden State Warriors Sunday.
The Pistons are a young team that is in full rebuild mode. Led by 2nd-year G Cade Cunningham, this team has the potential and is just looking to put the right pieces together to become a serious playoff team in the Eastern Conference.
Cunningham leads the team with 6.7 assists per game but also averages a team-high 3.4 turnovers per game. Newly acquired F Bojan Bogdanovic leads the team in scoring with 22.7 ppg while shooting 52.6% from the field and 94.1% from the free throw line. C Isaiah Stewart leads the team with 10.3 rebounds per game, with an average of 3 offensive boards per game.
The Bucks are looking to get back to the NBA Finals after winning a championship in 2021. F Giannis Antetokounmpo is posting yet another MVP campaign with team-high averages of 34.4 points and 14 rebounds per game.
The team’s undefeated start has come despite major contributors G Khris Middleton and G/F Pat Connaughton being sidelined all season.
Pistons at Bucks odds
- Moneyline (ML): Pistons +600 (bet $100 to win $600) | Bucks -1000 (bet $1,000 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Pistons +13.5 (-115) | Bucks -13.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 224.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
Pistons at Bucks key injuries
Pistons
- Not yet submitted
Bucks
- G/F Pat Connaughton (calf) out
- F Joe Ingles (knee) out
- G Khris Middleton (wrist) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Pistons at Bucks picks and predictions
Prediction
Bucks 121, Pistons 105
Moneyline
AVOID.
The moneyline here is far too risky and outrageous for me to advise you to put any amount of money on the line with this game. The Bucks (-1000) should win, but the risk outweighs the reward in this early-season divisional game.
Against the spread
LEAN BUCKS -13.5 (-105).
The Bucks are simply too good and too hot of a team to not believe they will cover the spread Monday. Nobody on the Pistons will be able to guard Giannis and they don’t have the personnel available to keep the Bucks’ role players at bay.
The only concerns I have for this bet are the fact that this is a divisional game so anything could happen, and the Pistons are a team with a lot of talent — despite their record. However, the Bucks are better from top to bottom and they are better coached than the Pistons. Expect Giannis to have yet another MVP-caliber night and make this a tough game for the Pistons from tip-off.
Over/Under
BET OVER 224.5 (-108).
This is your safest play in this game given the Pistons’ lack of defense. Detroit is 29th in defensive efficiency and is allowing 121.6 points per game (28th). Its opponents are also shooting an astounding 49.3% from the floor (29th), which alone is a formula for a very unsuccessful season.
Neither team has a phenomenal offense, both being ranked in the bottom half of the league of points per game, but neither is terrible either. The Bucks are still, missing a lot of their shooting due to injury and that is a large part of the reason why their offensive rating is so low, but it shouldn’t matter for this game.
Expect Giannis to put up at least 30 points and Holiday to put up at least 15 and 5 assists. If role players such as G Grayson Allen and F Bobby Portis can put up some solid bench points then the bucks should score enough to carry more than half the load of the OVER 224.5 (-108).