Two teams jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference NBA standings will go head-to-head on Thursday night when the Indiana Pacers visit the Detroit Pistons. The Pacers are 22-19 on the season and are currently sixth in the East, while the Pistons are 21-19 and sitting a half-game back in seventh. With the top six teams in each conference avoiding the NBA play-in tournament, this is a crucial battle, and Indiana has dominated the rivalry of late — winning and covering the spread in seven of their last 10 head-to-head meetings.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The home team is favored by 2.5 points in the latest Pistons vs. Pacers odds, and the over/under is 228.5 points according to the SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Pacers vs. Pistons picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 135-97 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Detroit vs. Indiana. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Pacers vs. Pistons:
- Pistons vs. Pacers spread: Detroit -2.5
- Pistons vs. Pacers over/under: 228.5 points
- Pistons vs. Pacers money line: Detroit -150, Indiana +125
- Pistons vs. Pacers picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Pistons vs. Pacers streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Pistons can cover
Having won 10 of their last 12 games, the Pistons are surging at the moment, and former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham has been a driving force in the success. Cunningham has scored 30 points or more in four of his last six outings, including a 36-point performance in a 124-119 win over the Knicks on Monday.
Malik Beasley also had 22 points off the bench in the win over New York, and Detroit has now covered the spread in eight of its last 12 games. Cunningham is averaging 24.5 points and 9.4 assists while shooting 46.0% from the floor and 38.2% from the 3-point line (all career-highs) this season. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Pacers can cover
Meanwhile, Indiana was on a six-game winning streak before it ran into the East-leading Cavaliers on Tuesday. The Pacers dropped a 127-117 decision but did have seven players reach double-figures in scoring despite being without All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring).
Haliburton is listed as questionable to return to action on Thursday, and it would provide a huge boost if he’s in the lineup. The Pacers and Pistons have split their first two matchups of the season both straight up and against the spread. Indiana covered as 5.5-point road favorites against Detroit to open the season. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Pistons vs. Pacers picks
The model has simulated Pacers vs. Pistons 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits almost 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Pistons vs. Pacers, and which side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Pacers vs. Pistons spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 135-97 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
