The Boston Celtics (42-16) and Detroit Pistons (32-26) will square off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The game will broadcast live on NBA League Pass.
The Celtics are 5-point road favorites over the Pistons on the spread, with the over/under set at 226.5 total points. Boston is a -192 favorite to win outright, while Detroit is +160 to pull off the upset.
Let's get to my Celtics vs. Pistons predictions and NBA picks for Wednesday, February 26.
Celtics vs Pistons Prediction, Picks
Spread
This is a tricky spot for Boston, considering it'll try to sweep the season series while being on short rest. Per league rules, the Celtics don't need to release their injury report until 1 p.m. local time, so there's always a chance they could decide to sit some players.
As a result, I prefer to pass on the spread altogether and play Boston on the moneyline.
Moneyline
ESPN Bet has the best moneyline odds on Boston at -180. Celtics' players have shown a bit of pride in this rivalry, which became infamous in the 1980s. While Detroit has been a pleasant surprise this season, Boston has too much quality for the home side.
Over/Under
Given my model's projection of 226.8 points, I'd have to lean to the over in this spot. However, I'm not showing enough of an edge to make it an official play.
My Pick: Celtics Moneyline (-192)
Celtics vs Pistons Odds, Spread, Total
| Celtics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5 -105 | 226.5 -110 / -110 | -192 |
| Pistons Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5 -115 | 226.5 -110 / -110 | +160 |
- Celtics vs. Pistons spread: Celtics -5
- Celtics vs. Pistons over/under: 226.5 total points
- Celtics vs. Pistons moneyline: Celtics -192, Pistons +160
- Celtics vs. Pistons best bet: Celtics ML (-192)
My Pistons vs. Celtics best bet is on Boston moneyline, with the best line currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons NBA Wednesday Preview
You'd have to go back to Feb. 26, 2022, to find the last time that Detroit won against Boston. Since then, the Pistons have lost 12 straight games in this series. Although this would seem like a spot where they could catch Boston napping, I can't help but notice the sizeable gap in-depth, quality and experience between the teams.
After revisiting the box scores from the three previous meetings this season, it's clear that the Celtics have multiple paths to victory.
In the first game, the Celtics scored 66 points from beyond the arc compared to 42 for the Pistons. In the second meeting, Detroit shot much better from distance, sinking 20 3-pointers, but were outdone by 21 by the Celtics. Boston also outrebounded Detroit 43-34, generating 10 more field goal attempts and shooting 25 foul shots to 18 for the Pistons.
Game 3 was like a mixture of the two other meetings, with Boston dominating Detroit 60-21 from the perimeter and winning the rebounding battle 51-43.
The Pistons would need a lot of things to go in their favor to defeat the Celtics because you'd need such a strong commitment to the 3-point shot. Boston leads the league with 48.4 attempts per game, while Detroit is 19th with 36.2.
Defensively, the Celtics rank third in limiting opponents to 34.4% shooting on 3-point attempts. In comparison, Detroit has the fourth-worst mark at 37%.
Given those numbers, the Pistons will likely continue to face an uphill battle to try and narrow the gap between the two teams.
For my same-game parlay, I'll look to add two player props to the Celtics' moneyline and take advantage of the +455 odds at DraftKings. Interestingly, the parlay won't necessarily be correlated because I've decided to target two players from the opposing team.
Detroit's Cade Cunningham has a rebound prop of 5.5 (-130), which he has exceeded in six of his last seven games at home. Cunningham has also cleared this number in five straight meetings against the Celtics.
The Oklahoma State product has tremendous size at the point guard position, given his 6-foot-6 frame and 220-pound build. I like his chances of winning his matchups against either Derrick White or Jrue Holiday, who are slightly shorter at 6-foot-4 and at least 15 pounds lighter.
Another prop that offers value is Tobias Harris to exceed 1.5 assists. Harris has surpassed this projection in 15 of his last 19 home games and six of his previous seven meetings against Boston.
Moreover, he's had at least two assists in 39-of-56 (70%) games this season.
This opportunity is simply too good to pass up at the current price, as we're getting excellent value with the odds at +125.
Celtics vs Pistons Best Bet
- Celtics Moneyline (-192)
Celtics vs Pistons Same Game Parlay
- Celtics ML
- Cade Cunningham Over 5.5 Rebounds
- Tobias Harris Over 1.5 Assists
Parlay Payout: +455
Pistons vs. Celtics Betting Trends
