The Detroit Pistons roll into the Smoothie King Center looking to shake off back-to-back losses, while the New Orleans Pelicans aim to snap their devastating nine-game skid in Monday night's cross-conference clash.
Detroit's playoff aspirations hang in the balance as they cling to the sixth seed in the East, with Tobias Harris and Dennis Schroder stepping up recently to fill the offensive void left by Jaden Ivey's absence.
The home team Pelicans, playing without several key pieces including potentially Zion Williamson, face an uphill battle against the away team Pistons who've shown marked defensive improvement throughout the season.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Detroit Pistons prediction: who will win?
For tonight's New Orleans Pelicans vs Detroit Pistons matchup, our predictive model gives the Pistons a 65% chance of defeating the Pels.
Pre-game probabilities
Detroit Pistons
Moneyline
Win %
65%
35%
New Orleans Pelicans
Detroit Pistons: 65% win probability
- Superior offensive output (7,809 goals scored vs Pelicans' 7,536)
- Better overall record (37-31 vs 18-50)
- Stronger recent performance (Recent form shows 2 wins in last 5 vs Pelicans' 1 win)
New Orleans Pelicans: 35% win probability
- Poor defensive record (8,091 goals against, 2nd worst in Western Conference)
- Significant losing record (50 losses, 2nd most in the West)
- Struggling momentum (LLWLL recent form with 4 losses in last 5 games)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model brings together insights from top NBA experts. Instead of searching through countless expert analyses online, you can rely on our predictions to capture the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing expert picks, data, and trends, while our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. These confidence levels are then averaged to generate an 'expert opinion' win probability—providing a data-driven reflection of the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NBA analysts..
| New Orleans Pelicans | Detroit Pistons | |
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New Orleans Pelicans vs. Detroit Pistons preview
The struggling Pelicans host the playoff-hungry Pistons at the Smoothie King Center in what's shaping up to be a tale of two very different seasons.
Detroit's coming in hot under a cloud of controversy after their heated loss to the Thunder, where Cade Cunningham's ejection and five technical fouls left coach Bickerstaff fuming about the officiating.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, can't seem to catch a break - they're riding a nine-game losing streak and might once again be without Zion Williamson, who's been out for personal reasons.
Keep an eye on Dennis Schroder, who's been a spark plug off Detroit's bench with his recent 17-point, 11-assist performance, while CJ McCollum's been carrying the load for New Orleans with impressive numbers despite their struggles.
The matchup presents an interesting contrast on the boards, where Detroit's third-ranked rebounding could feast against a Pelicans team that's been getting dominated on the glass, ranking 27th in the league.
The Pistons haven't tasted victory against New Orleans since February 2021, but this might be their best shot at breaking that curse, especially with the Pelicans looking like they're already thinking about summer vacation.
Detroit's improved defense, now ranking 14th in scoring defense, could be the difference-maker against a Pelicans offense that's been sputtering at 23rd in the league.
With Jaden Ivey out for Detroit and the Pelicans potentially missing several key players including Herbert Jones and Brandon Boston, both teams will need their bench units to step up in this cross-conference clash.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Detroit Pistons form
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Detroit Pistons head to head
New Orleans Pelicans
83%
Detroit Pistons
17%
Mar 24, 2024
Detroit Pistons
101 : 114
New Orleans Pelicans
Nov 3, 2023
New Orleans Pelicans
125 : 116
Detroit Pistons
Jan 14, 2023
Detroit Pistons
110 : 116
New Orleans Pelicans
Dec 8, 2022
New Orleans Pelicans
104 : 98
Detroit Pistons
Oct 8, 2022
New Orleans Pelicans
107 : 101
Detroit Pistons
Feb 2, 2022
Detroit Pistons
101 : 111
New Orleans Pelicans
