Questions are mounting for the Toronto Raptors after a surprisingly quiet trade deadline, and a visit from the Detroit Pistons will put Nick Nurse’s men under the microscope again this afternoon.
If Masai Ujiri’s decision to keep the Toronto core intact this week was supposed to jumpstart a playoff push, the Raptors’ players missed the memo on Friday night. A disastrous fourth quarter saw the Utah Jazz rally back for a 122-116 win at Scotiabank Arena.
The Pistons slugged their way to a double-overtime win last time out against the Spurs, a key rival in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. Bojan Bogdanovic led the way with 32 points, but Detroit has lost seven of its last 10 games overall.
Find out more about this afternoon’s matchup in our NBA picks and predictions for Pistons vs Raptors on Sunday, February 12.
Pistons vs Raptors best odds
Pistons vs Raptors picks and predictions
No one has done more to drag the Raptors out of their funk this season than Pascal Siakam — and he’s deservedly going to the All-Star Game in Utah after being selected as an injury replacement.
Siakam has been cooking against some of the league’s weaker defenses over the last few weeks — and the visitors certainly belong in that category. He dropped 37 points on the Spurs this week, then poured in 35 points on 12-for-21 shooting against the shorthanded Jazz.
Siakam is in red-hot form, and I envision another efficient scoring performance here. Only the Spurs are allowing more points per game this season than the Pistons (119.8).
With O.G. Anunoby (wrist) still out, that means even more touches for Siakam on an offense that is reliant on his playmaking against halfcourt defenses. He’s had 20 or more field goal attempts in four of his past five games.
Detroit logged heavy minutes in its marathon game against San Antonio on Friday, and this is a quick turnaround for a Sunday matinee. Jalen Duren was a force on the boards and in the paint that night, but the Pistons have limited options to throw at Siakam when he’s probing from the perimeter. It would be no surprise to see steady double-teams given Toronto’s patchy 3-point shooting.
With the Raptors hungry to make amends for blowing Friday’s game (and likely eager to wrap things up ahead of Super Bowl viewing parties), I expect a focused outing from Toronto and a fast start. Siakam is the key to setting that early tone — and I’m taking these odds for him to continue his free-scoring play.
My best bet: Pascal Siakam Over 24.5 points (-110 at PointsBet)
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Pistons vs Raptors spread analysis
The Raptors are big favorites here — presumably on the basis that they’re more interested in collecting wins than the Pistons. But Toronto was a 5.5-point favorite against the Jazz on Friday, and it’s tough to trust this team enough to lay so many points here. Utah outscored Toronto 39-20 in the fourth quarter, snapping the Raptors’ three-game winning streak.
Still, the numbers point to the hosts, who are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. The Pistons have failed to cover the spread in their last seven games after an SU loss.
On paper, this could be penciled in as a win for the hosts, but Dwane Casey has had the edge over his former employer since taking charge in Detroit. While Toronto won the previous matchup 115-111 in November, the Pistons had come out on top in the prior six meetings. I expect this game to still mean plenty to Casey, even as his team plunges towards a high draft pick.
Pistons vs Raptors Over/Under analysis
Aside from Siakam, good luck predicting what this Toronto offense will serve up this afternoon! The Raptors played three solid quarters on Friday before collapsing in the final frame when it mattered most — and it’s hard to glean many insights from their recent road wins over depleted and/or tanking teams.
All the same concerns are there — the ones that had seemingly nudged Toronto to the front of the list of sellers at the trade deadline. The addition of Jakob Poeltl will help the team’s balance once he re-familiarizes himself with the roster, but the Raptors are still painfully short on shooters and shot-creators.
But that may not matter as much against a Detroit team leaning on rookies in big spots. The Over is 6-2 in the Raptors’ last eight home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400.
Pistons vs Raptors betting trend to know
The Raptors are 6-2 ATS in their last eight home games. Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Raptors.
Pistons vs Raptors game info
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Sunday, February 12, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Sports Detroit, Sportsnet |
Pistons vs Raptors key injuries
