NBA - 709 Detroit Pistons @ 710 Houston Rockets
Projected Line: Houston by 3 points
Houston is coming from a game in Memphis last night, in a game where James Harden struggled with 4-18 FG! The pick and roll ball handler plays of the Rockets were shutdown by the Grizzlies with 4-12 FG and 0.75 PPP (Points Per Possession) and with that, their offense struggled big time. Houston gave heavy minutes to their starters and they simply ran out of gas in the 4th quarter, while the Grizzlies' bench was the key. The Rockets' tiredness was also evident in the fact that they were completely outrebounded on this game.
“We had bad spacing, and we weren’t moving the ball,” McHale said. “We weren’t moving the defense. They just locked us down. It’s been three games of that. They’re going to really run at James and try to get the ball out of his hands. We’re going to have to adjust to that and play with more movement earlier in the clock."
On the other hand, Detroit is now being more competitive and they are coming from a decent performance in Oklahoma City last night. Both Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight aren't slumping anymore and both players dished 6 assists last night. Both Stuckey and Knight played much better than they have so far this season, although their collective performance was flawed. Together, they only shot 37.5% from the field, but they also combined for 12 assists and only 3 turnovers! The good news is that Greg Monroe is finally taking the leadership role on this team and last night, Andre Drummond played 21 minutes and he corresponded with 8-10 FG and 8 rebounds! Greg Monroe is now the focal point of the offense because of his passing and his performances (17 assists over his last two games) back up that coach Lawrence Frank is trying to make that happen!
This is a rematch from the season opener game for both teams, where Detroit lost at home with the Rockets, after leading the game by 12 points. Houston used a lot their pick and rolls on that game and the Pistons didn't seem ready to defend this kind of play the whole game. I expect Detroit to be much more ready this time, while Houston is on a tough spot, as they are coming from two physical battles against Denver and Memphis, with coach Kevin McHale refusing to rotate the team, as Chandler Parsons played 42 minutes yesterday, Omer Asik 33 minutes, Jeremy Lin 35 minutes and James Harden 44 minutes!
I believe James Harden is definitely very tired right now, after being defended by Andre Iguodala and Memphis' ball pressure defense, so I believe the Rockets' offensive motor won't be at his best tonight. Detroit is playing better game after game, they are coming from their best game of the season so far and with revenge on their mind, I expect them to make this game very competitive. Therefore, I'll be taking the Pistons in here.
Pick: 3 units (Single Dime Play) on 709 Detroit Pistons (+7) @ -110 / 1.91 on Bookmaker
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