NBA Best Bet for February 25: Thunder at Pistons Odds & Prediction

The NBA's two top seeds will meet tonight in Detroit as the Pistons host the Oklahoma City Thunder. The man who could snatch away the NBA MVP from OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's will be on the court.

Detroit's All-Star guard Cade Cunningham is set to play against the Thunder, who have the depth to challenge for a win despite SGA being out with an abdominal strain injury. The Thunder have won five of six without their best player, including a road win over the Cavaliers last week.

(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

But, OKC is also missing two other guards: Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Which is why DraftKings has the Pistons as heavy favorites tonight.

Oddsmakers price Detroit at -298 on the moneyline. But if those odds are not to your liking, the spread is a fantastic opportunity for sharp NBA betting, even with OKC missing three key players.

• OKC at DET is my pick as the NBA's Best Bet of the night.

Tip-off time is 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The NBA has a plan for beating the Pistons

The Pistons (42-14) had won five straight until they ran into the 7-4 giant-sized buzzsaw that is Victor Wembanyama. On Monday, Wemby enforced a no-score zone at the rim, and the San Antonio Spurs snapped Detroit's win streak with a 114-103 victory in Motown.

That loss illustrated the inconvenient truth facing Pistons' fans: this team is in need of a secondary scoring option, particularly a shooter, even from mid-range. Cunningham and fellow All-Star Jalen Duren like to impose their scoring at the backboard and rim. Detroit is a unicorn: a successful NBA team that doesn't rely on the 3-point shot for success.

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The Pistons are attempting 31.8 3-point shots per game. That total ranks second-to-last among teams currently in the top five seeds in the Eastern Conference, and 27th out of 30 teams. Detroit is an anomaly. It's winning in a weird way. That can be good, but it can also be a challenge to sustain.

In the NBA Playoffs, opponents will undoubtedly protect the rim and force Cunningham to shoot all the shots. He's the only good option.

Which is why I love the Thunder, even the OKC "JV Team," to beat the spread tonight in Detroit.

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Best Bet: Thunder at Pistons

Grab 7.5 points. Yes, that's right the NBA Champs are getting 7.5 points. Sure, SGA will be in street clothes, along with Williams and Mitchell. But earlier this week, the Thunder (45-14) trounced Cleveland (37-22), which is one of the East's best teams.

• Best Bet: Thunder +7.5 at Pistons (-118)

Odds on this bet are -118, which means to get the 7.5 points, you'll need to wager $118. But if you win this NBA wager, you'll win $100 in addition to your stake.

OKC is an NBA best 21-7 on the road.

If you're looking to bet on the NBA MVP race Ballislife has that and all future team and player bets on our website.

Thunder-Pistons Game Prediction

I don't have the budget this week to go for that moneyline upset (OKC is +240), but it's tempting. Detroit has not fared well against top teams from the West. I have a feeling the Thunder could pull off a win tonight. But, my bet remains on the point spread.

My game result prediction is Detroit 109, Thunder 105