Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons Betting Pick & Prediction 1/1/25

At 7:00 ET, the Detroit Pistons (-125) will host the Orlando Magic (+106) in an Eastern Conference matchup. The Pistons are favored by 2 points and the over/under line is 212.5.

This game will be played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and can be seen on FDSD.

ORLANDO MAGIC VS DETROIT PISTONS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Detroit Pistons -2

This game will be played at Little Caesars Arena at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, January 1st.

WHY BET THE DETROIT PISTONS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 118-78 in favor of the Pistons.
• Our projections have Cade Cunningham finishing with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists.
• From the field, we have the Pistons finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.4% and knocking down 13 threes.

Will the Magic Come Through as Road Underdogs?

Orlando improved to 20-14 with a 102-101 win over the Nets on Sunday. Despite being favored by eight points, the Magic didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game finished at 203, just over the 202.5-point line.

After a 14-0 run by the Nets, Orlando found themselves down 83-68 heading into the 4th quarter. The Magic rallied, outscoring Brooklyn 34-18 in the final period to complete the comeback.

Tristan da Silva’s 13-point surge in the 4th quarter lifted the Magic to a 102-101 win over the Nets, finishing with a team-high 21 points and 4 threes at 44.4% efficiency. He also added 7 assists and 6 rebounds. Goga Bitadze contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 80% from the field, with 7 of his points coming in the 2nd quarter.

Orlando hit 12 threes, shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc and 44.6% overall. Caleb Houstan added 9 of his 12 points in the final period, while Wendell Carter scored 7 of his 13 points in the 3rd quarter.

Despite a rough 2nd quarter, the Magic tightened up defensively in the 2nd half, giving up just 40 points to the Nets in the 3rd and 4th quarters combined. Orlando allowed 101 points on 43% shooting from the field.

The Magic struggled to defend the three-point line, where the Nets hit 13 threes at a 43% clip. Orlando also sent Brooklyn to the free-throw line 28 times, where they converted 24 attempts. The Magic finished with 7 steals and 3 blocks.

Does Detroit Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?

The Pistons dropped to 14-18 after a 134-121 road loss to the Nuggets on Saturday. Detroit entered as +6 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The game’s total of 255 points exceeded the O/U line of 235.

Detroit led 38-36 after the 1st quarter, but Denver took control with a 31-23 2nd quarter and a dominant 47-28 3rd quarter. The Pistons went on an 11-0 run in the 4th, cutting the score from 118-97 to 129-97, but it was too late to mount a comeback.

In their 134-121 loss to the Nuggets, the Pistons shot 48.4% from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 30.8% of their threes, with 12 makes. Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey led the way with 17 points each, with Cunningham adding 8 assists despite shooting 38.9%.

Ivey was efficient, connecting on 77.8% of his shots, including 2 threes at 66.7%. Ron Holland scored all 12 of his points in the 4th quarter, while Cunningham had 11 of his 17 in the 1st, and added 6 more in the 3rd.

The Pistons struggled defensively on Saturday, allowing 134 points to the Nuggets, including a 47-point 3rd quarter. Detroit gave up 36 points in the 1st and 31 in the 2nd but managed to hold Denver to 20 points in the 4th.

Detroit allowed the Nuggets to shoot 56% from the field, including 48% from three, with Denver hitting 13 threes. The Nuggets also went 29/36 from the free-throw line. The Pistons recorded 26 defensive rebounds, gave up 8 offensive boards, and finished with 8 steals and 1 block.