Pistons vs Warriors Picks and Predictions: Dubs' Current Form Not Enough for This Spread

On a weird day for the NBA schedule where there are just two games, the Detroit Pistons will be one of the main attractions when they visit the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. And could they actually be catching the Warriors in a bad spot?

Golden State comes into this matchup having lost five of its last seven games, is 2-6 against the spread in its last eight, and is dealing with a bunch of injuries. So, can the Dubs cover a massive spread, or do the Pistons have value as a dog?

Find out in our free NBA picks and predictions for Pistons vs. Warriors on January 18.

Pistons vs Warriors odds

Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.

The Warriors opened this matchup as big 14.5-point favorites but that hasn’t scared away early bettors as the line has bumped up as high as 15.5. The total hit the board at 215.5 but has risen all the way 218.5 as of Tuesday afternoon.

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Pistons vs Warriors predictions

• Prediction: Pistons +15.5 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 218.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Looney Over 7.5 Rebounds (-130)

Predictions made on 01/18/2022 at 2:25 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Pistons vs Warriors game info

• Location: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
• Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2022
• Tip-off: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: NBATV

Pistons vs Warriors betting preview

Injuries

Pistons: Jerami Grant F (Out), Kelly Olynyk PF (Out).
Warriors: Draymond Green PF (Out), James Wiseman C (Out), Steph Curry PG (Questionable), Gary Payton II PG (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Warriors are 1-5 ATS in their last six games as a favorite. Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Warriors.

Pistons vs Warriors picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

The Warriors were arguably the best team in the NBA through the first three months of the season. They were 29-7, led the NBA in net rating, Steph Curry set the record for most threes and they were getting Klay Thompson back.

That’s a pretty wild first few months of the season. But while Thompson has returned, some other injuries have come up and the Warriors' shooting has gone a bit cold. As a result, they have dropped five of their last seven games.

Over that seven-game stretch, the Warriors rank 29^th in offensive rating and 27^th in scoring. Now, they should get a boost with the return of the NBA MVP betting favorite — Steph Curry is expected to return to the lineup after missing Golden State’s last game with a hand injury.

But prior to the minor injury, Curry was struggling, shooting just 25.5 percent from 3-point range over his previous six games. And it won’t help that Draymond Green, whose ability to orchestrate the offense is so important for the Warriors, is also out. On top of that, it doesn’t seem like the Warriors are comfortable pushing Thompson too hard at this point.

Then there are the Pistons. It looks like they have something in No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and they have shown some improvement lately, going 5-4 SU/ATS over their last nine games.

They seem capable of putting on surprising performances at times, but when they lose, it is usually by a wide margin. Like in their previous outing: a 135-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns. That said, the Pistons rarely get blown out twice in a row and are 18-13 ATS when following a loss this season.

Is there a chance the Pistons get blown out again? Sure. But with the way the Warriors offense has been struggling lately and the fact it will be without one of its floor generals in Green, we’ll take the points with the dogs.

Prediction: Pistons +15.5 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

The early money for the total in this matchup has been on the Over, bringing the number up as high as 218.5 at some sportsbooks, and that number might be high enough to look at the other side. 

As noted, the Warriors' offense has been struggling. They rank 27th in scoring over this seven-game stretch, putting up just 102.6 points per game while shooting just 42.4 percent from the floor over that span. 

On the other side, the Pistons have done a little better job of scoring of late, but this is still one of the worst offenses in the NBA. They rank dead last in offensive rating, scoring, and field goal percentage. 

Now, they're facing a Warriors unit that leads the NBA in defensive rating. Even without Green's disruption, we’re betting this one sneaks Under the total.

Prediction: Under 218.5 (-110)

Best bet

Another thing the Pistons don’t do very well is rebound. Detroit ranks dead last in the NBA in rebounding percentage and 25th in opponent rebounds per game. And with Draymond Green missing this contest, it creates an opportunity for someone else to step up on the glass.

That someone is Kevon Looney. The Warriors center is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game this season but in the last six games which Green has missed, that number has jumped to 10.7 per contest. His rebounding total for this one is set at 7.5. Looney has pulled down at least nine boards in four of those six games. He looks like a great bet to go Over this number in this matchup.

Pick: Kevon Looney Over 7.5 Rebounds (-130)

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