The Houston Rockets travel to the Motor City to take on the Pistons on the second night of a back-to-back. The Rockets suffered a dramatic OT defeat at Philly last night. Unfortunately for them, things will not get any easier tonight as the go up against the best team in the East. The Detroit Pistons have been one of the best stories of this season. They’ve made a huge leap from not making the Playoffs last season to leading the Eastern Conference in 2026.
In light of today’s top NBA betting pick, it’s important to note that the Pistons won the first matchup. It was a close game that was actually the season opener for both sides. Pistons won at Houston by 115 to 111. Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff got his 300th career win that night, making him and his father Bernie Bickerstaff (419) the first father-son duo to in NBA history to each reach 300 career wins.
Latest Team News
The latest news surrounding tonight’s Rockets at Pistons prediction is that Cade Cunningham could miss the game. Looking at the latest odds though, it seems like he will play. The sports books have all the latest info, and the Money Line is stacked strongly in favor of the Pistons. That to me is an indication that Cade will play. The odds for a Pistons win on Money Line are at about 1.60, while a win for the Rockets is offered at 2.50 (ML). Cade missed the team’s last game – a road win in New Orleans on Wednesday, 112-104. That also means that the Pistons, despite the travel, will have recovered better for this game, and they are also playing at home. As mentioned, the Rockets are on the second night of a back-to-back, and those games are always difficult.
The win against the Pels was the Pistons’ fourth straight W and seven out of their last eight games. Two-way player Daniss Jenkins replaced Cade in the starting five, while Marcus Sasser came off the bench. Both combined 26 points and eight assists. It was a display of depth by Detroit. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has a great group of talented young players, a really well-assembled roster.
Duren vs Sengun
Tonight’s Rockets at Pistons game will be a great matchup between two of the best young centers in the league. Sengun, who is well known by now against Jalen Duran, who has improved tremendously this season. Duran is the Pistons’ second-leading scorer with 17.8 PPG and number one rebounder (10.9 RPG). He had a great game against the Pels posting 20 points and 15 rebounds. Unsurprisingly, Bickerstaff is tipping his young center to make the All-Star game this year. That’s quite reasonable as the best team in the East should have at least two players in the All Star game. Sengun had a game to forget last night in Philly. The Turkish center was held to just 13 points, but he did add 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Sengun leads the Rockets in four different categories – rebounds (9.3), assists (6.4), steals (1.4), and blocks (1.0). He is also averaging 21.5 points per game, second behind Durant.
Betting Verdict
My personal Rockets at Pistons prediction is for a surprising away win here. The Rockets will be eager to bounce back after a near-win against the Sixers last night. Sengun should have a better scoring output. Houston have also been getting solid bench contribution from Eason and Sheppard.
