Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics Betting Pick & Prediction 12/4/24

At 7:30 ET, the 9-14 Pistons will take on the 17-4 Celtics at TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics are currently favored by 13.5 points and have a moneyline of -1092.

This Eastern Conference matchup can be seen on NBCS.

DETROIT PISTONS VS BOSTON CELTICS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Detroit Pistons +13.5

This game will be played at TD Garden at 7:30 ET on Wednesday, December 4th.

WHY BET THE DETROIT PISTONS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 143-130 in favor of the Celtics.
• Our projections have Jayson Tatum finishing with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
• From the field, we have the Celtics finishing with a field goal percentage of 48.6% and knocking down 20 threes.

Will the Pistons Defense Show Up on the Road?

The Pistons fell to 9-14 on the season after a 128-107 home loss to the Bucks on Tuesday. Detroit entered the game as +3 point underdogs but failed to cover the spread, losing by 21 points. The combined score of 235 points exceeded the O/U line of 221.5 by 13.5 points.

A 14-0 run by the Bucks turned the game, as they went from trailing 64-55 to leading 69-64. Milwaukee then pulled away, outscoring Detroit 42-28 in the 2nd quarter and 32-29 in the 3rd. The Pistons held the Bucks to 18 points in the 4th, but only managed 19 points themselves.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 23 points and 6 assists in their 128-107 loss to the Bucks, shooting 56.2% from the field and hitting 3 threes at a 50% rate. Tobias Harris added 16 points, with 9 coming in the 2nd quarter, while Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 15 points, scoring 7 in the 3rd.

Jalen Duren had a strong start, putting up 9 of his 11 points in the 1st quarter. The Pistons shot 46% from the field and made 11 threes at 33.3% efficiency.

The Pistons struggled defensively against the Bucks, giving up 128 points while allowing Milwaukee to shoot 56% from the field. Detroit’s defense was at its worst in the 2nd quarter, where they allowed 42 points, but they managed to tighten things up in the 4th, giving up just 18 points.

From beyond the arc, the Pistons allowed the Bucks to hit 23 threes at a 56% clip. Detroit sent Milwaukee to the line 21 times, where they made 15 free throws. The Pistons finished with 28 defensive rebounds, gave up 4 offensive boards, and recorded 11 steals and 7 blocks.

Will the Celtics Make it Happen at Home?

On Monday, December 2nd, the Celtics improved to 17-4 with a 108-89 win over the Heat at home. Boston, favored by 9.5 points, covered the spread with the victory. The game’s total points of 197 fell well short of the 220.5-point line.

Boston took control by outscoring Miami 32-20 in the 2nd quarter and 25-18 in the 3rd, leading 85-63 going into the 4th. The Heat won the final quarter 26-23, but the Celtics’ strong defense and balanced scoring secured the win.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics to a win over the Heat, scoring 29 points despite shooting 38.1% from the field. Payton Pritchard added 25 points, hitting 5 threes at 41.7%, and Derrick White also connected on 5 threes, finishing with 19 points and 8 assists.

Boston made 19 threes as a team, shooting 34.5% from beyond the arc and 43.8% overall. Brown scored 13 points in the 3rd quarter, while White added 8 in the 4th to help secure the victory.

The Celtics’ defense was on point against the Heat, giving up just 89 points in their win. They held Miami to 25 points in the 1st quarter, 20 in the 2nd, and just 18 in the 3rd, before allowing 26 in the 4th.

Boston’s defense limited the Heat to 35% shooting, including just 8 made threes on 22% shooting. The Celtics also recorded 40 defensive rebounds, gave up 11 offensive boards, and added 9 blocks.