A nine-game slate in the NBA on Wednesday is headlined by an ESPN triple-header that begins with the Detroit Pistons visiting the Boston Celtics at 5:00 pm ET. Detroit has surged to a 15-2 record, while Boston is struggling a bit at 9-8.
Let’s dive into my Pistons vs. Celtics predictions.
Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics odds
Money line: Pistons -162 / Celtics +136
Spread: Pistons -3 (-110) / Celtics +3 (-110)
Total: Over 228.5 (-110) / Under 228.5 (-110)
Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics best bet #1: Pistons -3 (-110)
Seventeen games into its 2025-26 campaign, the sample size is large enough to confirm that Detroit is the real deal. It has won 13 consecutive games since beginning the season 2-2, including six in a row by at least five points. Former No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham is in MVP form, averaging 27.1 points, 9.6 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. Cunningham is getting lots of help, too, as seven other teammates are scoring in double-figures. That includes big man Jalen Duren (20.3 ppg, 11.5 rpg), who has delivered six double-doubles in the last eight games — a stretch that features a 22-point, 22-rebound effort against the Jazz.
It is a much different story in Boston for Jaylen Brown. Jayson Tatum is out with a torn Achilles’ and both Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford left this past offseason. Brown is not a complete one-man show because Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Anfernee Simons are solid contributors — but Brown’s supporting cast is nothing like Cunningham’s. The Celtics’ normal starting lineup includes Jordan Walsh and — when healthy — Neemias Queta. You may be asking, “who?!?!” As for Brown, he is a horrendous 14-for-57 (24.6 percent) from three-point land in 11 games during the month of November.
Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics best player prop bet: Payton Pritchard Under 4.5 assists (-125)
Across the board, offensive numbers could be down in this matchup. Boston plays at the slowest pace in the entire NBA, plus it is facing a stout Detroit defense. The Pistons allow the fewest assists per game in the league (23.2) and the fifth-fewest assists per made field goal. They also give up the fourth-fewest points in the paint per game.
So, where is Pritchard going to throw the ball? The Celtics won’t be able to score down low (especially since Queta has been ruled out) and Brown has not been able to throw it in the ocean from the perimeter this month. Pritchard has stayed under this number in six of 11 November outings and he recorded a modest four assists during a 119-113 loss at Detroit on October 26.
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