NBA betting tips: Oklahoma City Thunder pump the Detroit Pistons as West meets East
Sports News Blitz NBA expert George Dempsey breaks down Saturday night's clash between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons.
With OKC eyeing another statement win and the Pistons fighting for a playoff spot, this showdown promises plenty of intrigue.
Oklahoma City look to extend their streak
Another exciting NBA weekend continues Saturday night, March 15, with a fascinating matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons.
The visiting Thunder top the Western Conference with an impressive 54-12 record, though their record against the Eastern Conference, which stands at 22-2, is devastating.
Not only have they won their last 11 matches against the East, but they’ve claimed seven straight wins on their travels and are starting to build another winning run after beating the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
They were briefly brought back down to earth by the Denver Nuggets, which isn’t surprising considering they played a back-to-back set and beat Denver on night one.
The Oklahoma City Thunder uncharacteristically allowed the Nuggets to shoot the lights out that night.
However, they bounced back with a strong defensive performance against the Celtics, holding them to 43% shooting from the field.
Pistons’ playoff push faces a tough test
It’s been quite the transition for Saturday's opponents, the Detroit Pistons, as they’ve gone from total bottom feeder to a team that’s making the NBA playoffs.
While some components of this talented squad are coming of age, moves to add experienced heads Malik Beasley, Tobias Harris, and Tim Hardaway Jr were wise.
The Pistons haven’t won more than 50% of games at this stage of a season since the 2017/18 season, yet here they sit with a 37-30 record mid-March.
That would have made Thursday’s defeat to the Washington Wizards, the NBA’s whipping boys at 14-51, particularly hard to stomach.
Still, they can’t just decide to bounce back against a side as elite as the Thunder.
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Can Detroit upset OKC again?
This is the first meeting between these sides since January of last season when the Pistons upset the Thunder.
If recent results are anything to go by, this may not be the right moment to back them to upset a title contender again.
Sure, they knocked off the Boston Celtics earlier this season, but March has seen them fall to the Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, and the Golden State Warriors.
It should be pretty exciting to see Cade Cunningham and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander share the floor, with the Pistons star averaging 31.66 points per game across his last six appearances.
On the other side of the court, SGA led the way with 34 against the Celtics and is averaging 32.8 on the season, with 6.2 assists thrown in for good measure.
Defence could decide this matchup
It’s unfair to pick on the Pistons when you consider the whole league is in the same boat, but they don’t have anyone to guard SGA to the point of keeping him quiet.
On the other hand, the Thunder are the best defensive team in the NBA with a rating around the 106 mark. Meanwhile, Detroit sit close by at 111, they’ve been pretty leaky in March.
They’ve allowed between 119 and 134 points on five occasions in their last eight contests, which is a number that should earn the Thunder a narrow cover.
Suggested bet: Oklahoma City Thunder -5
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