The Detroit Pistons (12-53) and the Miami Heat (35-30) into their arena for a Friday night showdown. Now, if you look only at records, this game should be a blowout. Miami is by far the better team at 35-30, while Detroit is the 2nd worst team in the NBA at 12-53. However, Detroit has been on the rise recently, finally starting to put it together. They have won 3 of their last 4 games, only losing to Luka Doncic and his Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, Miami is currently on a 4 game losing streak, including an embarrassing loss to the Washington Wizards (11-55).
One thing to note regarding Miami’s 4 game-losing streak is Tyler Herro. The Heat’s 2nd leading scorer hasn’t played a game in nearly a month and will be sidelined again tonight. Despite this, Miami is still the better team, but this will be a closer game than most people think. The Detroit Pistons have more young talent than a lot of people expect, and they will show that tonight.
Can Detroit rally at home and give Miami a run for their money?
Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | MoneyLine |
| Miami | -8
-112 |
O 215
-112 |
-340 |
| Detroit | +8
-108 |
U 215
-108 |
+270 |
| **Odds Courtesy of DraftKings** | |||
Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat Game Details
- Fixture: Miami Heat @ Detroit Pistons
- Date and Time: March 15, 2024 @ 7:00 pm EST
- Location: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI
Apex Tale of the Tape
| Detroit Pistons | Vs. | Miami Heat |
| 12-53 | Record | 35-30 |
| 112.4 | Points Per Game | 110.2 |
| 47.0% | FG% | 46.5% |
| 35.6% | 3PT% | 37.4% |
| 51.6 | Rebounds Per Game | 49.7 |
| 120.5 | Points Allowed Per Game | 109.8 |
| 49.0% | Opponent FG% | 47.1% |
| 37.5% | Opponent 3PT% | 36.1% |
| 81.1% | Opponent FT% | 77.2% |
| 50.8 | Opponent Rebounds Per Game | 50.4 |
| 3-2 | Last 5 W-L | 1-4 |
| 104.2 | Team Pace | 99.8 |
Key Stats
Detroit Pistons
Detroit on the surface has been a bad team. They set the NBA’s all-time record for most losses in a row. So naturally, the first instinct would be to fade them. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find some interesting things. The Pistons are 6-3-1 vs a +8 point spread in their last 10 games. In their last game vs the Toronto Raptors, they played very well as a team. Every starter had at least 12 points, and even the bench contributed 29 points. This takes some of the pressure off of Cade Cunningham as the only scorer and has to continue to happen if the Pistons want to win any more games.
Another reason for the Pistons recent surge is their center, Jalen Duren. In his last two games, which Detroit has won, Duren recorded two monster double-doubles. He had 20 points, 10 reb vs the Charlotte Hornets, and had 24 points, 23 reb vs the Raptors. Duren is 5th in the NBA in rebounds per game. Duren has a total of 36 double-doubles this season, and in those 36 games, Detroit has covered +8 in 23 of them.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are usually a good team every year, but they are just above .500 this year. Their trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro has been very good for the past few years, but they don’t have that luxury tonight. With Tyler Herro out, Miami is going to need the newest member of their team, Terry Rozier, to step up. Rozier has only averaged 14.8 points in Miami this season compared to the 23.2 points he was averaging with the Charlotte Hornets. Rozier had 17 points and 7 last in Miami’s game vs Detroit a week ago.
The Pistons allow the most points to the point guard position this season. The Heat are going to need another good performance out of Terry Rozier if they want to beat the Pistons. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are going to get their buckets regardless, but it comes down to Rozier to make the difference in Herro’s absence. Another big thing to watch is the matchup between the bigs. Bam Adebayo will be guarding the aforementioned Jalen Duren. Bam is one of the best defensive players in our game, and both of these guys are great rebounders. The team that can win the battle in the paint will have a much better chance at this one.
Game Prediction
I think Miami will break their 4 game-losing streak tonight. I think they have too. They have to stop the bleeding and this is the perfect game to do that against the 12-53 Pistons. That being said, I really like this home stand that the Pistons are on, and I think their players are beginning to believe that they are a good team. Some of the trades that the Pistons made really helped, and Miami has not been able to put everything together yet post-trade deadline.
My official pick is going to be Detroit Pistons +8, at -108. However, if you want to get spicy, I love this two-leg parlay that is +262 at DraftKings. Detroit Pistons +8, and Miami Heat MoneyLine. I think this game will play out a lot like the first between these two teams. Miami is not a team that blows out other teams a whole lot. Detroit can easily keep this close but Miami needs this win big time, and coach Erik Spoelstra knows that.
Final Pick
Detroit Pistons +8 (-108)
About the Author
Caden is a massive sports fan and has been following the professional leagues for as long as he can remember. His main sports are NFL and NBA, but he watches and can talk about all sports. If you want more great sports insight or are looking for sports betting advice, follow Caden on Twitter @CadenBahry. Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
