The NBA season continues this week with a big game between two sides competing at the top of the standings, as the San Antonio Spurs host the Detroit Pistons.
The Spurs have had an excellent campaign so far this season, and come into this game with a 44-17 record, sitting second in the Western Conference, having played less games than the Oklahoma Thunder. Detroit, on the other hand, have an excellent 45-15 record heading into this matchup, and sit top of the Eastern Conference.
We’ll take a look at the match-up and provide you with our best free NBA betting picks, as we try to earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the court.
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The Spurs, led by superstar Victor Wembanyama, started their campaign with a sensational 5-0 run in October, defeating the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, and Miami Heat.
Their first defeats of the season came in their opening two games of October, as the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers turned in strong performances. Still, San Antonio responded in perfect fashion, winning their next three-in-a-row. Back-to-back defeats against the Golden State Warriors followed, before they closed out the month with five wins in their final seven games to earn a 13-6 record.
December was another exceptional month of performances, as the Spurs claimed revenge over the Lakers in the midst of a 10-2 run, which included a defeat to the New York Knicks in Las Vegas, plus back-to-back wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
January saw the team hit their first real rocky spell of the season, as they went 8-7. A win over the Indiana Pacers was followed by defeats to the Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies. The Spurs then defeated the Lakers and Boston Celtic, before finishing the month with a 5-5 run.
February was unbelievable as San Antonio had a perfect 11-0 run, despite the All-Star break, and now March has started with a defeat against the Knicks, before a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers last time out.
The Pistons disappointed in their opening game of the season, falling to the Chicago Bulls, before picking up their first victories of the campaign against the Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, and Orlando Magic in the first month.
Detroit then saw their momentum carry into November, going on a sensational 12-game winning streak, including wins over the the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards, and Atlanta Hawks. The run came to an end after defeat to Boston and Orlando, but they ended the month 16-4 with a win over the Miami Heat.
December was another impressive month, as the team won eight of their opening ten games, before back-to-back losses against the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers. The year ended with a win over the Lakers, with star man Cade Cunningham shining once again.
January started slowly with a defeat against the Heat on New Year’s Day, but they won seven of their next eight games, with a defeat against the Clippers coming right in the middle of the run. The team then grabbed a four-game winning run against the Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Boston, and New Orleans Pelicans, before defeat to Houston.
February was strong for the Pistons too, as they went 9-2, losing just one game on either side of the All-Star break, including against the Spurs last month. They come into this game on the back of a defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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While the Pistons have arguably got a better record so far this season, individually they don’t match up too well against the Spurs.
Wembanyama has arguably been one of the most impressive performers so far this season across the entire NBA, averaging 23.7 points per game, 11.2 rebounds per game, and a league-high 2.9 blocks per game. They also have last year’s rookie of the year Stephon Castle leading the way with an average of 6.8 assists per game this season, and Keldon Johnson with an excellent 53.9% field goal percentage for the season.
The Pistons on the other hand, have been leaning heavily on Cunningham, who leads the way with 25.5 points per game and 9.8 assists per game, while star man Jalen Duren has racked up a stunning 63.1% field goal percentage for the season.
As a team, both teams have been exceptional across the board. The Spurs have the third-best-ranked defense in the league, allowing just 109.33 points per game, while they have the sixth-best-ranked offense for points scored, registering 118.46 points per game.
They also have the benefit of having earned a relatively comfortable 114-103 win against the Pistons just two weeks ago on the road. The Spurs have the quality to get the job done again, and with home-field advantage this time, the odds of -156 look too good to ignore.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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