The west-leading Denver Nuggets need a win and, with a matchup against the Detroit Pistons, have the perfect matchup to do so. The Pistons are one of three teams eliminated from the playoffs and are expected to put up little of a fight against the Nuggets on Thursday. The NBA lines list the Nuggets as massive -14 point road favorites in what could be a blowout win for Denver.
Nuggets Need Win
On paper, the Nuggets are a far superior team, currently holding the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. But the NBA news isn’t all positive, and Denver is on a surprising four-game losing streak. The Nuggets still hold a 4.5-game lead over the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies, but the walls will continue to close if Denver doesn’t turn things around.
This matchup couldn’t have come at a better time for Denver, as the Pistons are, hands down, the worst team in the NBA. If Denver can’t win here, things may be worse than expected for the Nuggets.
Despite their position atop the West, the Nuggets struggle to cover games on the road with a 14-19 record against the spread (ATS). With a return on investment (ROI) of just -19.03%, I’d be wary of trusting them on the road most nights. However, against a team as bad as the Pistons with nothing to play for, it feels like the Nuggets are on the cusp of a turnaround win.
Pistons Eliminated from the Playoffs
If you were checking the NBA odds today, you might notice the absence of the Detroit Pistons. They were the first team from the Eastern Conference to be mathematically eliminated from the postseason race. It should come as no surprise, considering they are 16-54 and have won just one game since early February.
With Houston’s win tonight, the 16-win Detroit Pistons are now alone at the bottom of the standings. I would guess they’ll stay there for the rest of the season.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) March 16, 2023
There isn’t much more to say about the Pistons and their chances to beat or cover against the Nuggets. Most of their starting lineup is out injured, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Jaden Ivey, and Isiah Steward.
The Pistons were terrible all season and are now injured with nothing to play for. This is not a team to bet online.
Nuggets vs Pistons Game Injuries
Nuggets vs Pistons Head-to-Head
The Pistons were able to sneak a win over the Nuggets in November 110-108 as +11½-point underdogs on the NBA betting lines. It was Detroit’s first win over Denver since 2020 and only their third since 2017. The Pistons are, however, on a three-game ATS winning streak over the Nuggets.
Nuggets vs Pistons Game Information
- Game: Nuggets (46-23) vs Pistons (16-54)
- Location Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
- Day/Time: Thursday, March 16, 6 p.m. ET
- Nuggets vs Pistons Live stream: NBA Game Pass
Nuggets vs Pistons Betting Lines
Nuggets vs Pistons Picks and Prediction
I don’t see a need to dig too deep into this matchup to make my NBA picks for Thursday. The Nuggets are struggling, but nobody is playing as poorly as the Pistons are. They are shorthanded, underskilled and have nothing left to play for after being eliminated from the playoffs.
The Denver Nuggets are listed at -1100 in our Vegas NBA lines. If you wager $100 on the Nuggets, you can win $9. The Detroit Pistons are +700, offering a chance to win $700 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Nuggets a 91.67% chance to win, with the Pistons at 12.50%.
Nuggets vs Pistons Trends
Nuggets vs Pistons Edge
Nuggets vs Pistons Results
Nuggets vs Pistons Game Summary
Pistons vs Nuggets Previous ( Nov. 22, 2022)
We can’t put our hard-earned money on the Pistons, even to cover. Take the Nuggets
They don’t often get defeated by Detroit, so they’re the pick despite the uncertainty of Jokic.
