Pistons vs Hornets Picks and Predictions: Dreaming of Wembanyama

The Pistons are officially tanking, and they enter Monday’s game against the Hornets with injury concerns

The race for Victor Wembanyama is underway. Detroit currently holds the third-best lottery odds after a four-game losing streak, while the Hornets’ four-game winning run now puts them at a 12.5% chance of getting the first overall pick.

Will Charlotte be able to pry defeat from the jaws of victory? Or will the Hornets continue to push for a miraculous spot in the play-in tournament?

Let’s break down how this one should go with our free NBA betting pick and predictions for Pistons vs. Hornets.

Pistons vs Hornets best odds

Pistons vs Hornets picks and predictions

There’s little chance either of these teams really cares about winning on Monday. The Charlotte Hornets are eight games out of the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference, and the Detroit Pistons have won just 15 contests all season and sit in last place.

It’s not really surprising to see a laundry list of players could be missing for the Pistons. Isaiah Stewart and Bojan Bogdanovic are both listed as questionable, which would really hurt a team already playing without Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, and Nerlens Noel.

Charlotte may not get the help of PJ Washington here, but that shouldn't matter. The Hornets have been a much more serious franchise since LaMelo Ball returned, and they're 14th in defensive efficiency over the last 10 games. While the team is struggling to score, Charlotte still boasts a wealth of offensive talent.

Somehow the Hornets have won four straight and three as underdogs. While Ball’s return months ago did give this team a lift, Gordon Hayward coming back has been even more meaningful. His ability to cut and score inside could put this unit over the top in a very sloppy matchup. Detroit is missing its best interior defender and Hayward is coming off a 21-point game, while rookie Mark Williams registered 18 and 20 rebounds.

The prospect of facing a team scoring at will inside without Stewart could be catastrophic. This game could be a runaway victory if it gets away from Detroit.

My best bet: Hornets -7 (-115 at DraftKings)

Pistons vs Hornets spread analysis

The Hornets have covered during their last four victories, three of which came when they were underdogs of at least 5.5 points. However, this will be a different kind of ask, as the Hornets haven't been 5.5-plus-point favorites in 2022-23.

Charlotte is 4-2 against the spread when laying two-plus points this season. That's pretty promising considering the team is 6-7 ATS in all games as favorites. Meanwhile, Detroit is 15-14-2 ATS as road underdogs.

Betting with the trends could prove to be a fool’s errand here given the narrow margins that exist. Perhaps that’s why 40% of the tickets here are on Detroit, according to DraftKings.

Only 25% of the money is on the underdogs, and 75% of the cash has come in on the Hornets. That’d explain why this line has moved two points from 5.5.

Pistons vs Hornets Over/Under analysis

I’m leaning toward the Under here. The Hornets might be able to score at will inside if Stewart sits out. But these teams have ranked 14th and 15th in defensive efficiency, respectively, over the last 10 games.

The complicating factor here is that the Hornets are first in pace over the last 10 contests with a rating of 103.5. That’s incredibly high, but perhaps Detroit – which ranked 24th in the NBA over the same time period – will be able to slow this affair down a little bit.

A commanding 74% of the tickets are on the Under, but just 57% of the handle. That also gives me pause, which is why the Under is more of a lean than a play.

Pistons vs Hornets betting trend to know

The Over is just 1-7 this season in games when the Hornets are favored at home. Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Hornets.

Pistons vs Hornets game info

Pistons vs Hornets key injuries

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