Pistons vs. Bulls Prediction: Betting Odds, Line & Pick

The surging Detroit Pistons visit the Chicago Bulls in what should be an entertaining game on Friday night. The Pistons have won three straight games and six of their last seven while the Bulls are coming off a great home win against the 76ers.

Friday, March 8 at 8:00 PM ET

United Center

Coverage: NBA League Pass

*All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by Jazz Sports

• Detroit Pistons (-4 at -110) vs. Chicago Bulls
• Over/Under: 218.5 at -110

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Recent Takeaways

Blake Griffin has quietly put together a solid season for the Pistons but he struggled with his shot in Wednesday’s 131-114 home win against the Timberwolves, when he was 4-for-13 for just nine points. With Griffin having an off game, the Detroit reserves stepped up, scoring 70 points while Andre Drummond exploded for 31 points and 15 rebounds.

Drummond is averaging 21.6 points and 16.0 rebounds in the last 12 games and this was his 16th straight double-double, the second-longest streak in franchise history behind his record-setting 18 from last season. Luke Kennard had 21 points and Ish Smith added 19 as four bench players reached double figures for the Pistons.

Zach LaVine had a monster game for the Bulls in Wednesday’s 108-107 home win against the 76ers, leading the team with 39 points and he hit the go-ahead layup in the closing seconds. LaVine shot 14-for-26 and he scored 13 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Bulls erase a 10-point deficit. Robin Lopez added 19 points and nine rebounds in the victory.

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Pistons vs. Bulls Trends and Prediction

The Under is:

• 7-1 in Detroit’s last eight games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game
• 10-4 in Detroit’s last 14 games playing with one day of rest
• 5-0 in Chicago’s last five games against Central Division opponents

Team rankings based on pace:

Pistons – 24th (100.5 possessions per game)

Bulls – 21st (101.1 possessions per game)

Team rankings based on offensive efficiency:

Pistons – 21st (105.6 points scored per 100 possessions)

Bulls – 29th (102.4 points allowed per 100 possessions)

The Pistons need Drummond and Griffin to dominate at both ends of the floor but their bench has to be productive on offense once again. Balanced scoring can make a difference against a Bulls team that’s coming together.

The Bulls beat the 76ers despite going just 6-for-23 (26.1 percent) from 3-point range and they won’t win tonight or even stay in the game with another dismal shooting night from beyond the night.

This game will come down to Lauri Markkanen, he picked up two fouls in the first two minutes against the Sixers and he scored just 11 points on 4 of 9 shooting, missing his three 3-point attempts. Markkanen has to go off on offense and help contain Griffin on defense.

The Under is just 1-1 in two meetings this season (the Pistons won both games) but these two teams play at a slow pace and their offenses are not particularly efficient, so I’m leaning towards this being a low-scoring contest.

Pick: Under 218.5

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