The San Antonio Spurs have rebounded nicely from their loss to the New York Knicks, blowing out the Philadelphia 76ers by 40 points to remain in second in the Western Conference, just 3.5 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Spurs have a big-time matchup on March 5, as they’ll face the Detroit Pistons for the second and final time this season after they beat them by 11 on Feb. 23.
Detroit is the No. 1 seed in the East, but it lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday and struggled in the first meeting against the Spurs, putting up just 103 points. These teams are two of the three-best defenses in the NBA, and they both have title aspirations given how well they’ve played so far in the regular season.
Oddsmakers have set the Spurs as favorites in this matchup as they look to improve upon their elite record at home.
San Antonio has just six home losses all season, and this is the first game back home after a long road trip for Victor Wembanyama and company
Here’s a look at the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this rematch between title contenders on March 5.
Pistons vs. Spurs Odds, Spread and Total
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread
- Pistons +3.5 (-105)
- Spurs -3.5 (-115)
Moneyline
Total
- 228.5 (Over -108/Under -112)
Pistons vs. Spurs How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, March 5
- Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Frost Bank Center
- How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
- Pistons record: 45-15
- Spurs record: 44-17
Pistons vs. Spurs Injury Reports
Pistons Injury Report
- Wendell Moore Jr. – out
- Tolu Smith – out
- Isaac Jones – out
Spurs Injury Report
- Harrison Barnes – out
- Harrison Ingram – out
- David Jones Garcia – out
- Mason Plumlee – out
- Emanuel Miller – out
Pistons vs. Spurs Best NBA Prop Bet
Spurs Best NBA Prop Bet
- Devin Vassell OVER 14.5 Points (-105)
In today’s best NBA props column for SI Betting, I shared why I’m backing the red hot Devin Vassell to have a big game:
There are few players hotter than Devin Vassell right now, and he’s looking to build off a 28-point showing against the Detroit Pistons late last month.
The Spurs wing is averaging 20.6 points per game over his last five games, shooting 60.7 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from 3. It’s going to be hard to keep those numbers up against one of the best defenses in the league, but Vassell was 10-of-14 from the field in his last meeting with the Pistons.
San Antonio has made an effort to get the former first-round pick involved, especially from beyond the arc. He’s taken six or more 3s in each of his last five games. Overall, Vassell is averaging 14.6 points per game, and I think he’s worth a look to clear this number on Thursday night.
Pistons vs. Spurs Prediction and Pick
Who is going to win this matchup? I shared my moneyline pick in today’s edition of my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points:
The Spurs pulled off a road win over the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons earlier this season, dominating them with their defensive scheme.
Cade Cunningham shot 5-of-26 from the field in that matchup, and the Spurs held the Pistons to just 103 points. While it’ll be tough to duplicate that defensive effort, San Antonio exposed the fact that the Pistons lack a secondary creator behind Cunningham, and they have the guard defenders (led by Stephon Castle) to make things tough on the All-Star guard.
The Spurs have the best net rating in the NBA over their last 15 games (+12.7), going 13-2 during that stretch. The Pistons are fifth in net rating over their last 15 games, but they’ve lost recent games to Cleveland and San Antonio – two potential title contenders.
I don’t want to dismiss the Pistons, but the Spurs are an elite team at home, going 21-6 this season. After a long road trip, I think San Antonio relishes a chance to sweep the Pistons in front of its home crowd.
Pick: Spurs Moneyline (-155 at DraftKings)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
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