The Washington Wizards travel to Motor City to take on the Detroit Pistons at the Little Caesars Arena on Monday, December 16, 2019.
The Wizards continue to struggle without All-Star guard John Wall. Washington is nine games below the .500 mark and they have lost nine out of their last 11 games including the last four. Big Man Thomas Bryant is still on the injured list and Bradley Beal has plenty of shoes to fill. The Pistons have also seen injuries limit their All-Star Blake Griffin this season. Griffin has played just a total of 14 games due to injuries and he is listed as day to day for this game due to soreness in his left ankle. Despite Griffin’s woes, the Pistons have lost just twice in their last seven games played and have climbed to four games below the .500 mark.
The Wizards have won just twice in their last 11 games played and they have lost four straight games heading to Monday’s showdown against the Pistons. Washington is coming off a 17-point road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night and they have fallen to 7-16 SU on the season which is next to last in the Southeast Division standings.
With John Wall out for the season, Bradley Beal leads the team with 27.4 points and 7.0 assists per game Davis Bertans is having his best season ever at 15.7 points and 4.6 rebounds. Rookie Rui Hachimura is scoring 14.4 points while grabbing 6.0 rebounds per game while Thomas Bryant leads the team in rebounding at 8.5 boards grabbed per contest while also scoring 13.9 points per game.
Washington is the 4th highest-scoring team in the NBA this season with an average of 117.7 points per game. They are ranked 30th in rebounding at 41.7 boards grabbed per contest and they are the 2nd best passing team in the league at 28.2 assists per game. The Wizards are the worst defensive team in the NBA as they allowing a league-worst 122.2 points per game this season.
The Detroit Pistons have won five out of their last seven games to improve to 11-15 SU on the season, 3rd overall in the Central Division team standings. In their last game held on Saturday, the Pistons took down the high-powered Houston Rockets 115-107 in Houston. Derrick Rose had another big 4th quarter and scored 20 points off the Pistons’ bench.
Andre Drummond leads Detroit with a monster double-double season. Drummond is averaging 17.7 points, 16.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.8 blocks per game this season. Rose is leading the team in passing at 6.0 assists per game while also scoring 16.4 points per game. Blake Griffin is also contributing 16.4 points per game but he has been in and out of the lineup due to injuries. Griffin is listed as day to day after leaving the Rockets’ game with left knee soreness.
The Pistons are the 19th highest-scoring team in the league at 108.9 points per game this season. They are ranked 24th in rebounding at 24.3 boards grabbed per contest and they are 10th in passing at 24.8 dimes per outing. Detroit is in the upper half of the NBA in scoring defense at only 108.7 points per game allowed this season.
The Wizards are 1-7 SU in their last eight games played. Washington is 0-5 SU in their last five games played on the road. The Pistons are 5-2 SU in their last seven games played. Detroit is 7-6 SU in 13 home games played this season, and 4-8 SU in their last 12 games played against Washington. Head to head, the Wizards are 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played against the Pistons. However, the Pistons are 15-5 SU in their last 20 home games against the Wizards.
Washington continues to struggle without John Wall. With leading rebounder and shot-blocker Thomas Bryant also out, this team has won just twice in their last 11 games played. Although Bradley Beal is having a fantastic season, their injury woes have prevented them from being a consistent team this year.
The Pistons are also dealing with injuries to Reggie Jackson and Blake Griffin. But Detroit has managed to win five out of their last seven games. Derrick Rose has been clutch in the Pistons’ last two wins and I expect the 2011 NBA MVP to step up again in this game. Luke Kennard is coming off a big hame himself and the Pistons are playing at home.
These are two teams riddled by injuries to key players and while Washington still has one All-Star in Bradley Beal, the Pistons have the more balanced squad with nine players averaging at least 7 points per game. I like the Pistons to hold court and beat the Wizards here.
PREDICTION: DETROIT PISTONS
Washington is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games played. The Wizards are 7-6-1 ATS in 14 road games played this season, and 4-2 ATS in their last six games played against the Eastern Conference. Detroit is 5-2 ATS in their last seven games played. The Pistons are 7-6 ATS in 13 home games played this season, 5-2 ATS in their last seven December games, and 3-6 ATS in their last nine Monday games. Head to head, Washington is 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played against Detroit.
Washington has outscored Detroit by an average of 3.4 points per game in their last 10 meetings and by 7.0 points per game in their most recent three head to head matches. The Wizards are the worst defensive team in the league this season as they allow the most points per game. Despite that, they have covered half of their 14 road games. However, the Pistons have D-Rose and their veteran guys who can step up and help the team win this game and cover the spread.
PREDICTION: PISTONS -5.5
The total has gone over in 13 out of the 24 games played by the Wizards. The over is 7-6-1 in Washington’s 14 road games played this season, and the over is 8-3 in their last 11 games played against the Central Division. The total has gone over in 14 out of the 26 games played by the Pistons. Detroit has seen the total go over in four out of their last five games played at home. Head to head, the total has gone under in six out of the last 10 meetings between these two teams, including 4 out of their last five games played.
These teams have scored a combined 212.2 points per game in their last 10 meetings and 211.66 points per game in their most recent three head to head encounters. The Wizards have allowed at least 120 points 13 times this season and they have been in many track meets this year. Detroit is dealing with injuries with Griffin and Drummond not sure of playing in this game and listed as day to day. That uncertainty leads me to pick the under for this game.
PREDICTION: UNDER 229.5
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