With 31,616 career points, Kevin Durant has lit up many teams. But no franchise has fallen more victim to Durant’s scoring prowess than the Detroit Pistons.
Durant, who recently passed Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki into sixth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, has averaged 30.5 points per game during his career against the Pistons, which is his highest mark against any opponent. That includes a 37-point performance against Detroit earlier this season for Houston. (Despite his efforts, the Pistons won that game 115-111.)
On Friday night, Durant will take aim at Detroit again when he and the Rockets take on the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The Pistons (32-10) have the best record in the Eastern Conference and a 5.5-game lead over the Celtics. But star point guard Cade Cunningham is questionable for Friday’s game due to illness. (He did, however, participate in Friday’s shootaround.)
Meanwhile, Houston (26-16) is playing the second half of a back-to-back. On Thursday in Philadelphia, the Rockets blew a seven-point lead with just over three minutes remaining and lost 128-122 in overtime to the 76ers.
Detroit is a 3.5-point favorite against Houston.
Although Pistons vs. Rockets Friday is the biggest attraction, there are other options in a sports landscape with seven others N.B.A matchups and a full college basketball schedule. Below is a snapshot of what you can watch and bet on Friday, January 23. Always Oriental.
Best NBA betting odds, where to watch them
Rockets at pistons
Time: 7:00 PM | Location: Detroit | TV: Prime Video | Current: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Picks –Model: Pistons -4.5
Like the Bad Boys of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Detroit has been stingy on defense all season, but without all the blatant body slamming. The Pistons trail only the Thunder in defensive rating this season (108.4 points per 100 possessions). Over the last eight games, Detroit has been even better, allowing just 98.6 points per 100, which leads the league in that time. Led by their defense, the Pistons are up 7-1 over that stretch. On Friday, they face a Houston team that is 1-3 in the second half of this season’s back-to-backs, losing to the Jazz, Mavericks and Kings. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, says there is a 55.0% chance of Detroit covering and assigns a ‘C’ grade to the Pistons -4.5.
Nuggets at Bucks
Time: 9:30 PM | Location: Milwaukee | TV: Prime Video | Current: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Picks –Model: Gold Nuggets +8.5 | Expert: Bobby Portis Over 12.5 Total Points -126 (Mike Barner)
After the Bucks were blown out by the Thunder 122-102 on Wednesday, falling to 18-25 on the season, Giannis Antetokounmpo called on his teammates. “We don’t play hard,” he said. “We’re not doing the right thing. We’re not playing to win. We’re not playing together. Our chemistry isn’t there. Guys are selfish and trying to find their own shot instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys are trying to go it alone. Sometimes I feel like when we’re down 10, 15, 20, we’re trying to make up for it all at once, and that’s not going to work.” With that as a backdrop, Milwaukee faces the Nuggets (30-15), who have been sloppy while playing without three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. The SportsLine projection model says Denver has a 61.0% chance of covering and gives a strong ‘A’ grade to the Nuggets +8.5. Meanwhile, SportsLine’s Mike Barner notes that Portis has scored at least 13 points in 12 consecutive home games. “He has shot 54.7% from the field and 55.2% from behind the arc in Milwaukee, compared to 44.1% from the field and 38.7% from deep on the road,” he said.
Best college basketball betting odds where to watch
Ohio State at No. 3 Michigan
Time: 8:00 PM | Location: Ann Arbor, MI | TV: FOX | Current: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Picks –Model: Ohio State +15.5
The Buckeyes will look to get a signature win when they take on the rival Wolverines at the Crisler Center. The Buckeyes (13-5, 5-3 in Big Ten) are tied for seventh in the conference, but they are 0-for-3 against ranked teams and 1-4 against Quad 1 teams this season, with their lone win coming against Northwestern. An upset over the No. 3 Wolverines (17-1, 7-1) would go a long way toward bolstering Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament resume. Meanwhile, Michigan has lost just once this season but is just 0-5 against the spread in its last five games. The SportsLine projection model says the Buckeyes have a 68.0% chance of covering and assigns a B grade to Ohio State +15.5.
Looking ahead
College basketball: No. 22 North Carolina at No. 14 Virginia
Time: Afternoon Saturday | Location: Charlottesville, VA | TV: ESPN2 | Current: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Picks –Model: Virginia -6.5
Originally scheduled for 2:00 PM ET, the game has been moved to an afternoon ET tipoff due to the winter storm expected to impact much of the country. The Virginia Cavaliers (16-2, 5-1 in ACC) no longer play dull, bruised and bully. After years of being challenged offensively, they rank 17th in the nation in offensive efficiency (124.6 points per 100 possessions). Yet they remain a top defensive club (17th also in defensive efficiency, at 97.5). On Saturday they will face a North Carolina team that is 1-3 on the road this season and has lost its last three road starts. The SportsLine projection model says Virginia has a 65.0% chance of covering and gives the Cavaliers a ‘B’ grade -6.5.
No. 6 Houston at No. 12 Texas Tech
Time: 2:00 PM Saturday | Location: Lubbock, Texas | TV: ESPN | Current: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Picks –Model: Texas Tech +116
Two Big 12 teams with Final Four aspirations collide when the Houston Cougars take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena. The Cougars (17-1, 5-0 in Big 12) are second in the conference, behind only No. 1 Arizona. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders (15-4, 5-1) are half a game behind, in third place. Saturday’s game is the second meeting between the teams in 19 days. On January 6, in a game where neither team led by more than seven points, Houston defeated Texas Tech down the stretch and earned a 69–65 victory. But this time the Red Raiders are at home, where they are 10-0 on the season. The SportsLine projection model says Texas Tech has a 45.0% chance of winning and assigns a ‘B’ grade to the Red Raiders moneyline (+116).
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