Ah, the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Detroit Pistons in an NBA matchup that only a bettor could love.
No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and the Pistons are 5-point home favorites despite losing eight straight games. That might have something to do with the fact that the Thunder come into this one also as losers of eight in a row.
So, with all losing streaks created equal, which slumping NBA team is the best bet in this matchup? Find out in our free NBA betting picks and predictions for Thunder vs. Pistons on December 6.
Thunder vs Pistons odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The Pistons opened as 4.5-point home favorites and have seen the very early action, moving the line to -5 at some sportsbooks. The total hit the board at 206.5 and the Under has been hit hard moving the number to 203.5.
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.
Thunder vs Pistons predictions
Predictions made on 12/06/2021 at 12:20 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Thunder vs Pistons game info
• Location: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
• Date: Monday, December 6, 2021
• Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: NBA TV, Bally Sports Oklahoma, Bally Sports Detroit
Thunder vs Pistons betting preview
Injuries
Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander SG (Out).
Pistons: Kelly Olynyk PF (Out), Cory Joseph PG (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 5-1 in the Pistons' last six games against a team with a losing straight-up record. Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. Pistons.
Thunder vs Pistons 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 problem with this matchup is that both losing streaks are least close to equal, as both teams, despite continuously losing, have kept their games somewhat close and have done a decent job of covering spreads in the process.
In fact, both the Thunder and the Pistons are 5-3 ATS over their respective slides. Baby steps, guys, baby steps. So, how do you handicap a game between two teams that have both lost eight straight?
Well, for starters, the Pistons have started to play better at the defensive end of the floor during their skid, ranking 19th in defensive rating over this eight-game stretch.
Now, they face a Thunder offense still without its best player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and OKC has really missed him. During this losing streak the Thunder rank dead-last in offensive rating effective field goal percentage and scoring, putting up just 97 points per game.
While the Pistons offense isn’t much better, Cade Cunningham is in a bit of a groove, averaging 20 points while shooting 52.4% from 3-point range, while adding 6.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game over his last three games.
With the Thunder ranking 27th in defensive rating and 28th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage during their slump, we’ve got to side with the home favorite here.
Prediction: Pistons -4.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
When it comes to the total, the Under was hammered early this morning, moving the line down 3-4 points from the opening number. It’s not hard to see why.
We’ve already talked about how the Thunder are struggling on offense, but the Pistons' attack isn't anything to write home about, either. In fact, the only team worse on offense than Detroit during their losing streak is OKC.
The Pistons rank 29th in both offensive rating and scoring over their last eight games, putting up just 100 points per contest over that stretch.
Prediction: Under 203.5 (-110)
Best bet
This matchup is a perfect storm for the Under. These two offenses have been awful while they have picked up the effort on the defensive end of the floor.
These are the two lowest-scoring teams in the NBA since Nov. 19 (when their respective losing streaks began), who also rank last and next-to-last in effective field goal percentage over that span. Even at a number this low, the Under looks like a solid bet. These teams won't get to 200.
Pick: Under 203.5 (-110)
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