The Golden State Warriors (33-36) and Detroit Pistons (50-19) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The game will broadcast live on FDSDET.
The Pistons are 6.5-point favorites over the Warriors on the spread (Pistons -6.5), with the over/under set at 217.5 total points. Detroit is a -250 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Golden State is +205 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Warriors vs. Pistons predictions and NBA picks for Friday, March 20.
Warriors vs Pistons Prediction, Pick
- Warriors vs Pistons pick: Daniss Jenkins Over 13.5 Points (-102)
My Pistons vs. Warriors best bet is on Daniss Jenkins to score over 13.5 points in tonight's game. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Warriors vs Pistons Odds
| Warriors Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 217.5 -112o / -108u | +205 |
| Pistons Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 217.5 -112o / -108u | -250 |
Warriors vs Pistons NBA Preview
I don't know if you heard yet, but Cade Cunningham is dealing with a lung issue and is going to be out for a little while. Apparently, he is expected to be ready in time for the playoffs. So, it might not be too severe.
However, it sounds kind of crazy. With a diagnosed collapsed lung, the Pistons say they are slated to reevaluate him in two weeks, and they anticipate he's going to be ready for the playoffs — but we'll see.
Daniss Jenkins appears to be the Pistons' second best creator at times, which is both an amazing story for somebody who was a really good college player, but also alarming if you are a one-seed and your second best creator is somebody who was on a two-way contract for much of the season — especially when you have Tobias Harris and Caris LeVert on your roster, who are solid players that can be contributors for winning teams.
That being said, Jenkins has more on-ball juice and gets a lot of the on-ball reps. He showcased that to some extent last night, going 3-for-16 and under his 13.5 points total line for that game against the Wizards.
He played 34 minutes and had 16 attempts. So I'm going to look at more than three makes for him tonight, playing against the Warriors in the second game of a back-to-back set.
I also think Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff knows that if Jenkins is somebody that can ignite your second unit, which we have seen in different series. He has the size and ability to do exactly that.
Warriors vs Pistons Predictions, Betting Analysis
The Pistons seem incentivized to give Jenkins plenty of reps down the stretch of the season without Cunningham and really see how ready he is for the playoffs. This will be a crash course for him. Detroit is going to trust him with the ball in his hands a lot.
Jalen Duren is obviously going to get his chances. He had another double-double yesterday, and he just might be the most improved player of the season — or at the very least, a finalist for the award.
Duren was an All-Star this year, but Jenkins, from a creator standpoint, is going to be somebody that gets a lot of on-the-ball reps — and LeVert's role didn't really change without Cade yesterday; however, Jenkins' role did.
With Jenkins' line set at 13.5 points tonight, I'm firing on it.
Pick: Daniss Jenkins Over 13.5 Points (-102, FanDuel)
Spread
I'm not taking either side of the spread.
Moneyline
I have no play on the moneyline.
Over/Under
My Warriors vs. Pistons betting prediction is Daniss Jenkins over 13.5 points.
