The race for playoff spots in the Eastern Conference is incredibly tight, and a good run of form could very easily catapult one of the outside teams right into the mix. The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards are currently occupying the 9 and 10 spots, respectively, but both are very much within reach of that coveted #8 spot. The Pistons have a 2.5-game lead over the Wizards right now, and would love to open that gap whilst also getting closer to the 8 spot. The last meeting between these two was incredibly tight, and we can probably expect more of the same here. This is going to be a tough one for pro hoops odds handicappers, but that’s all part of the fun.
Detroit Pistons Vs Washington Wizards NBA Odds, TV and Game Info:
When: Friday, February 19, 7:00 PM ET Where: Verizon Center, Washington D.C. TV: FSDT NBA Odds: TBAWhy bet on the Detroit Pistons
If I am being totally honest, it has to be said that the Pistons (27-27) are not doing very much to help their own cause at the moment. They headed into the All-Star Break on a run that saw them only pick up 3 wins in their previous 10 games, and their last 3 games heading into the break all ended in defeat. To make matters worse, many of the losses that came during that stretch were against the very teams that they need to take advantage of if they want to get back into playoff contention. The Pistons are just 11-17 on the road this season, and they only have 3 road wins in their last 8 attempts. It’s not all doom and gloom for Detroit, though, as they do have a 14-9 record versus teams with a losing record this season. They went down at home to the Wizards earlier this season, but the 2-point margin of defeat suggests that these two teams are pretty close in terms of talent. The Pistons are averaging 101.8 PPG, and are giving up 101.0 PPG.Why bet on the Washington Wizards
The Wizards (23-28) find themselves 3 games back of a playoff spot right now, and while that is not a huge mountain to climb, they do not get much help to start the second half. They will start things out on Thursday by playing a make-up game versus the Utah Jazz, and then will have two more games on Friday and Saturday, which means they play on 3 consecutive nights. Even great teams would have a hard time coming out of that with a winning record. This is not going to be the make or break for the season, but of that 3-game deficit suddenly turns into 5, that mountain gets a lot tougher to climb. The Wizards did knock off Detroit earlier this season, but that one came on the road, where they have played better ball all year. Washington are averaging 102.7 PPG, and re giving up 105.4 PPG.
