The Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings duel in Thursday’s NBA nightcap
The pregame narrative: Detroit has won three of its last four and I’ll bank some extra points with it on the road on an alternate spread. Prop bets on Tim Hardaway Jr. and DeAaron Fox round out this +310 SGP.
Check out my Pistons vs. Kings same-game parlay predictions for Dec. 26.
Pistons vs. Kings predictions
Go to full NBA betting markets
Parlay: Pistons +8.5 + Hardaway under 10.5 points + Fox over 5.5 assists (+310)
Pistons +8.5 (-177): Has Detroit finally turned a corner? It’s probably too early to say but the Pistons have been playing well lately.
J. B. Bickerstaff’s squad picked up back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns and have now won four of their last six.
The Pistons kicked that streak off by beating a surging Knicks team in New York.
I keep waiting for Sacramento to find its footing but that might not happen. The Kings are on a four-game losing streak and are now 13-17 on the season.
They’re loaded with talent but haven’t been able to put things together.
Sacramento is 10-19-1 ATS including a 4-9-1 mark as a home favourite. Detroit, meanwhile, is 8-4-1 ATS as a road underdog.
SGP legs
Hardaway under 10.5 points (-143): This is a great spot to fade Hardaway.
Detroit’s small forward is shooting an uninspiring 42.2% from the field and is only taking 8.1 shots per night.
There are games where Hardaway isn’t involved offensively — he’s scored five or fewer points five times in the last 15 games — and I think tonight will be one of those contests.
Sacramento is allowing the sixth-fewest points per game to opposing SFs, per Fantasy Pros.
Hardaway has cleared this line in consecutive games but is 12-15 against this number on the season.
Fox over 5.5 assists (-295): Fox’s floor as a facilitator is high:
- He has averaged at least 5.6 assists per game since his rookie season.
- Fox has 5+ assists in 23/30 games this year.
It’s worth noting that this is a tough matchup.
The Pistons allow the second-fewest assists per game to point guards and the 11th-fewest assists overall.
However, Fox has been dishing it. Sacramento’s floor general has seven-plus assists in eight of 10 games in December. I like him to stay hot despite Detroit’s defensive prowess.
Picks made at 12:50 p.m. ET 12/26/2024.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.