Philadelphia 76ers vs Detroit Pistons Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 09/04/2024, 01:21  by Joseph King | Modified on 09/04/2024 at 11:00 in NBA Prediction

The streaking Philadelphia 76ers play host to bottom-feeders Detroit for this Eastern Conference matchup in the NBA. The Sixers, who sit in seventh-place, will attempt to overtake the sixth-place Indiana Pacers in the final few games of the season. Doing so would mean gaining automatic entry into the playoffs and avoiding having to go through the play-in tournament.

The 76ers come into this game with a golden opportunity to extend their winning streak to six games and keep the pressure on the Pacers. The hosts’ last outing saw them dispatch the San Antonio Spurs on the road by a score of 133-126 after overtime. The return of Joel Embiid to the team has acted as the catalyst for their excellent recent form after the reigning MVP missed significant time with a meniscus injury suffered on January 30th. He’s played in three of the last five games as the Sixers try to be as cautious as they can be with the big man. Philly’s record now reads 44-35, putting them just a single game behind the sixth-place Pacers, two games behind the fifth-placed Cavs and only a half game ahead of the eighth-place Heat.

The Pistons enter this matchup off the back of a 113-103 away loss to the Brooklyn Nets, their fourth defeat in a row and their 11th loss in the last 12 overall. It’s been a dreadful campaign for Detroit and the fans will be counting down the days until the season is over. At 13-65, the Pistons look like they are going to finish with the worst record in the 2023/24 season. They would have to make up a 1.5 game deficit on the 14th-place Wizards if they are to avoid the abominable title. They're also without star point guard Cade Cunningham with the 21-year-old being listed as questionable for this game. Cunningham hasn’t played in Detroit’s last three games and the visitors aren’t likely to risk him with the season almost at a close and nothing to play for.