The Detroit Pistons odds of winning the NBA title are once again off the board as the franchise is on their way to the NBA Draft lottery again. A season-ending injury to Cade Cunningham derailed the Pistons season before it even began. However, the team is stacking lottery picks like Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, building for the future. Detroit finished last among all 30 NBA teams with a 17-65 record and once again missed the NBA Playoffs.
Below, we’ll go over Pistons odds for the 2023 NBA regular season and postseason. Find player props, game previews, and more.
Detroit Pistons Odds
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Pistons NBA Title Odds
Not many teams are further from an NBA Finals appearance than the Detroit Pistons. They’re currently rebuilding their team with lottery picks, of which they’ll have at least three after this draft. Though hope exists in the franchise, Cade Cunningham’s injury this season really derailed any hope at progress. Currently, the Eastern Conference is as strong as it’s ever been, further complicating their route to the playoffs.
Next season, they’ll likely repeat as one of the longest shot teams to win it all.
Pistons Roster
- G Cade Cunningham
- G Jaden Ivey
- F Bojan Bogdanović
- F/C Isaiah Stewart
- C Jalen Duren
- G Killian Hayes
- G Alec Burks
- G Hamidou Diallo
- G Corey Joseph
- G RJ Hampton
- G Rodney McGruder
- F Buddy Boeheim
- F Marvin Bagley III
- F Isaiah Livers
- C James Wiseman
- G Jared Rhoden
- F Eugene Omoruyi
Who are the best players on the Pistons?
Cade Cunningham: The former No. 1 overall pick sits as the probable face of the Pistons franchise. In his first season and change in the NBA, Cunningham scores 17.8 points per game, though the production hasn’t turned into many wins. Cunningham played just 12 games this season and underwent surgery for an injury in December. He was scoring nearly 20 points per game and will continue to be a flagship player moving forward.
Bojan Bogdanović: The savvy NBA vet took over as the leading scorer for Detroit this season. Bogdanović posted a career-high in scoring (21.6 points per game) in his 11th NBA season. Bogdanović provides a veteran presence on a team that has more players younger than 24 than over it. He’s always been deadly from beyond the arc and Bogdanović continued shooting over 40% this season.
Jaden Ivey: The Pistons stacked lottery picks with Ivey being the latest addition this past year. As a rookie out of Purdue, Ivey scored over 16 points per game on over 30 minutes played per game. He played his best basketball of the season in January and showed clear progression. The Pistons likely view Ivey and Cunningham as a longterm backcourt core to their team.
Detroit Pistons Props
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Pistons Current Season
As mentioned, the injury to Cunningham really put the brakes on hopes of visible improvement in 2023. Cunningham was playing well, averaging nearly 20 points per game until the early-November shin injury, but the play only resulted in a 3-9 record.
Wins didn’t come in a higher quantity after the injury, either. The Pistons sputtered to the NBA’s worst record, competing with the Spurs and Rockets. The tank is on for Victor Wembanyama, the surefire number-one pick in the upcoming draft often compared to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While frequently overlooked and used as an opportunity to rest starters, the Pistons to have a handful of exciting wins this season. Earlier on, they upended Western Conference giants like the Warriors twice, Nuggets and Mavericks.
In Cunningham’s absence, veteran Bojan Bogdanović led the team in scoring with a career-high 21.6 points.
This marks the end for coach Dwane Casey, who made the playoffs with a .500 record in his first season (2018), but regressed every year after that. Every year after 2018, Casey failed to win 25 games and ended up in the lottery each year. He is moving into a front office role.
Pistons transactions
- Traded for C James Wiseman
- Traded away F Saddiq Bey
- Signed G RJ Hampton
- Waived F Nerlens Noel
The biggest move for the Pistons this year as they seek to get younger was undoubtably the trade for James Wiseman. Wiseman was immediately inserted into the rotation, seeing a minutes and usage increase with Detroit. He adds length the Pistons desperately needed. RJ Hampton was signed for the rest of the season as the team deals with a litany of injuries.
How to bet on the Pistons
Moneyline
Betting on the Moneyline simply refers to betting on winners. Favorites are marked by having a “minus” number while underdogs show a “plus” number. For example:
- Pistons -120
- Wizards +100
In this instance, the Pistons are favored over the Wizards. At -120, a bettor would need to play $120 to win $100. On the flip side, a $100 bet on the Wizards wins a bettor an additional $100. In both instances, the initial bet is also returned in a win.
Point Spread
Betting on the point spread takes things a bit deeper. Instead of just betting on a winner, bettors wager on the differential in a game. For example:
- Knicks -4 (-110)
- Pistons +4 (-110)
In this example, the Pistons are four-point underdogs to the Knicks. In order for a bet on the Pistons to cash, Detroit would have to lose by three points or less, or win the game outright. If the Knicks win by five or more points, then a bet on the Knicks would win. If the game ends in exactly a four-point differential, it would be declared a “push” and all original bet amounts would be returned.
The number in parentheses next to the spread is the price you’re paying for either side. In the above example, you’d need to wager $110 to win $100 on either side. Sportsbooks make the number -110 instead of +100 on many bets. This is known as the “vigorish” or “vig” and represents the cut a sportsbook expects to take from either side. For example, +100 represents 50% (+100– or “even money”– would be 50% + 50%, adding up to 100%). However, -110 represents 52.4. So, A bet on either side at 52.4% would add up to 104.8%, or a 4.8% vig.
Point Total (Over/Under)
Bettors can also wager on the point total or the over/under instead of the spread or moneyline. In this case, punters wager on the total number of points scored by both teams in the game. For example:
- Over 228.5 (-110)
- Under 228.5 (-110)
Betting on the over requires the two teams to combine for at least 229 points. So, if the final score is 120-109 or 115-114, then the over would hit regardless of who wins the game. However, if the game ended 107-100, the under would hit.
The same rules apply with vigorish and price, listed in parentheses next to the over/under.
In-Play And Live Betting
All of the bets listed above can be made in one of two ways: pre-game or live. Pre-game bets happen before the game starts. However, bettors can also place bets on games while the contest is going on. Odds change constantly, especially in a fast-paced game like basketball. Keen bettors can take advantage of in-play betting.
Take the previous example of the Pistons being +4 on the point spread against the Knicks. If Detroit stumbles out of the gate and falls to a 10-point deficit at halftime, the live point spread may adjust to Pistons +8. Should the flow of the game favor the Pistons heading into halftime, bettors would take Pistons +8 live. Oftentimes, betting live lines is a better strategy than taking unfavorable pregame numbers.
Live betting also applies to over/unders and even some player props. However, we advise caution with live betting as TV broadcasts can have long tape delays. In basketball, a 15-second tape delay may represent two entire possessions or a six-point swing in a game. Sportsbooks are usually ahead of this, so it’s best practice to live bet during timeouts in the action.
Parlays And Teasers
Stringing multiple bets together is called a parlay. Parlays greatly increase betting volume but also require every leg to be correct to win the bet. For example, betting on the Pistons +9 (-110) against the Nuggets and Under 231.5 (-110) separately would require $220 total to win $200 on both bets combined. However, parlay these two together and the parlay price comes out to +273 odds. That same $220 would now win $600.60 total.
Parlays allows bettors to win more money, but at the expense of lower win probability. Each leg of a parlay decreases the overall chances of the bet winning, but can strategically be used to great effect.
Teaser betting refers to buying and selling points. While a much more popular practice in betting the NFL, teaser betting works in the NBA, too. Teasers are a form of parlay betting. Bettors can buy six points, but must string two legs together with odds usually set at -120 or longer. For example, a six-point teaser turns: Pistons +9 (-110) and Under 231.5 (-110) points into Pistons +15 and Under 237.5 points, combined to -120 odds.
While bettors get the extra breathing room, it also forces your hand to be more correct to break even.
Pistons Franchise History
Despite their state of disarray over the past decade-plus, the Pistons are a storied NBA franchise. Perhaps most famous for the “Bad Boy Pistons” from 1986-1992. They built a reputation for being physical, at times too much, but they did win back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. Despite not being truly in the “Bad Boy” era, Detroit won another title in 2004 with similarly-aggressive teams.
In their early days, the Fort Wayne Pistons were a regular player in the playoffs, making back-to-back championships in 1955 and 1956. The team moved from Fort Wayne to Detroit in 1957. The famous Palace Of Auburn Hills became the home for the Pistons in 1988 and then they moved to Detroit proper in 2016 with the opening of Little Caesars Arena.
The Pistons hang five Eastern Conference banners: one for each championship season (’89, ’90 and ’04) and two additional in 1988 and 2005. Detroit implemented the “Jordan Rules” to stop Michael Jordan to great success in his early seasons. Led by Dennis Rodman, Detroit knocked out the Bulls in three straight playoffs. Other notorious Pistons from the mid-80s to early 2000s include Ben Wallace, Isiah Thomas, Grant Hill, Chauncey Billups, and Richard “Rip” Hamilton.
Other Pistons legends include Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer and Bob Lanier, all of which were precursors to the Bad Boy era.
The physicality resulted in the infamous Malice In The Palace after the ’04 championship season. With the evolution of the game, the Pistons eventually lost their edge, falling into the franchise’s worst decade yet.
The last time Detroit made the playoffs was in 2018, where they were swept by the Cavaliers. It was the penultimate season for Andre Drummond in Detroit before he began a journeyman career.
FAQs About Pistons Odds
Who is favored to win 2023 NBA Finals?
From the East, the Milwaukee Bucks () and Boston Celtics () frequently trade status as the title favorites. The Philadelphia 76ers () fall further behind on odds tables, but still present viable contenders. Expect these odds to change as playoff matchups are set.
The Phoenix Suns () jumped to the lead in the West after trading for superstar Kevin Durant. The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors () along with NBA MVP contender Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets () come in behind the Suns.
How likely are the Pistons to win the NBA Championship this year?
In a short, one word answer: Not. Instead, the Pistons have the shortest odds of landing the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft lottery.
How likely are the Detroit to make the playoffs?
About as likely as they are to win the NBA Finals this year. The Pistons finished 41.5 games back of first place, 23 games back of the final play-in seed, and 28 games back of the actual playoff field. (Note: a play-in appearance does not count as making the playoff field.)
Are Pistons out of the playoffs?
The Pistons are eliminated from the 2022-23 NBA playoffs.