The Detroit Pistons have lost 10 in a row, and if they can’t pull out a victory tonight against the similarly pathetic New Orleans Pelicans then I’m not sure where their next win is going to come from. The Pistons’ next five games will be against the Brooklyn Nets, road gams against the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers and then back home to face the suddenly hot Houston Rockets and the Miami Heat.
The Pacers might look a lot different on Dec. 16 since seemingly their entire veteran-laden roster is on the block and trades will be much more likely after Dec. 15 when players who signed deals last offseason can be moved.
But back to the Pelicans. They are bad. They’ve won just seven games, but three of those victories have come in the past seven. That is largely powered by some quality team rebounding and the offensive production of Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas. Ingram is averaging 24 points per game in the past seven while Valanciunas is scoring 18 points and 10.6 rebounds.
Game Vitals
When: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Lousiana
Watch: Bally Sports Detroit
Odds: Pistons +6.5
Projected Lineups
Detroit Pistons (4-20)
Killian Hayes, Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart
New Orleans Pelicans (7-20)
Devonte Graham, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Herbert Jones, Jonas Valanciunas