The Detroit Pistons haven’t had much to celebrate this season, but a victory over one of the top teams in the conference last week gave coach Dwayne Casey and fans something to celebrate.
Three home games starting Wednesday give NBA bettors a chance to consult their favorite Michigan online sportsbook to get the best odds on the Pistons. One of them, BetMGM, is giving new customers a First Bet Offer up to $1,000. That means that should your first bet lose, BetMGM Michigan will give you back up to $1,000 in bonus bets.
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Last Thursday, the Pistons exploded out of halftime and slapped 43 points on the Nets in Brooklyn. That outburst led to a 130-122 win. It was arguably the most impressive victory of the season for Detroit. Shooting efficiency was the key: 7-for-8 from the field by Jalen Duren; 6-for-9 from both Alec Burks and Hamidou Diallo(!). Detroit had 17 combined steals and blocks, compared to 11 by the Nets, who are one of the favorites to win the East. BetMGM prices the Nets at +450 to win the conference, and +800 to win the NBA Finals.
Next up for the Pistons is a home game against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
How to bet the Pistons in Michigan
As Detroit slogs through the last 30 or so games of the NBA season, lineups are more important than wins. Casey must find the best combinations of players who will be here for the future of Detroit basketball. Of course that centers on Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the two 2022 first-round picks. With franchise player Cade Cunningham out for the season, the rest of the schedule is about finding the best ways to mix Duren and Ivey with others who may be here in 2023-24.
At 33, Bojan Bogdanović sticks out like a parent chaperone at a middle school dance. The Pistons are going to have an axis of Cunningham, Ivey, Duren, and likely Saddiq Bey, who dropped a team-high 25 points on the Nets in last week’s road win.
Detroit has an incredible seven players on their roster who were selected in the first round within the last five NBA Drafts. Most of them were taken early or mid-first round. Yet, the team limps along with the worst record in the conference. Much of that has to do with the mix of players, with more guards and big men than they probably need. The Pistons should be focusing on the core of Ivey and Duren the rest of this season. If a deadline deal that will send Bogdanović out of the Motor City is coming, let’s hope it brings a forward with defensive skills and the ability to run the floor with the speedy guard sets the team utilizes.
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Jaden Ivey’s Scoring Opportunities Increasing
With no opportunity to pair Ivey with Cunningham, whose leg injury ended his second NBA season, Casey and the Pistons have turned to letting the rookie guard take more of the ball-handling load. That’s also led to more scoring opportunities. In December, Ivey averaged 11 shots per game. That figure drifted to 12 shots per game in January and should keep inching up. That means Ivey’s scoring will likely move with it. That’s something to watch for NBA bettors in Michigan.
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New Starting 5 for Detroit?
Last week against the Houston Rockets, Casey used a new starting unit when he rolled out Alec Burks, Bojan Bogdanović and Saddiq Bey with Ivey in the backcourt and Duren at center. Most observers expect Bogdanović to be sent packing, especially if another NBA team will overpay for the veteran scorer. But, most importantly for Detroit sports bettors, that starting group could be a sign of what’s to come in the “garbage time” of the balance of this season. Bey especially could toss up more shots and increase his points line.
Photo by JB Autissier Panoramic/Icon Sportswire
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