In upcoming NBA action, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers will take on Cade Cunningham and the struggling Detroit Pistons. The two teams will face one another on Wednesday, November 29th, 2023 in one of the early games in the association (7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT). The Pistons, who recently lost to the Washington Wizards, are underdogs in the game at +7.0 (bet365). My Lakers vs Pistons prediction is that Detroit will hit in this game with the help of their handicap.
Los Angeles vs Detroit Prediction: Recent NBA News
The Lakers last played on Monday, a game where they really struggled. Los Angeles fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 138-94, a result that saw LA fall to 10-8. The 44-point spread went down as the biggest spread in a losing effort for LeBron James in his storied career.
The Lakers have not really had a clean depth chart of late. Heading into Wednesday, they look like a team that really needs to hit the reset button. No fewer than six of the starters and second-string players combined have some kind of problem. There is lots to sift through but De'Angelo Russell is the only starter that doesn't have a problem.
The Lakers have had some games where their depth chart looked more like a hospital check-in sheet this season. Sometimes, their top players have played -- and played well -- despite questionable status.
However, with the huge loss to Philly, you have to wonder if too many Lakers are playing at below 100% and that it's showing in the box scores. This LA team is one that could benefit from a break, however, they've qualified for the in-season tournament so it should be full throttle for a while. For the game at hand, LA backers are backing this team late on Wednesday after the day of news updates or not at all.
Double-check for playing status updates with Los Angeles (22:09 ET time of writing):: Team's Depth Chart
Detroit is 2-15 and they have lost 14 straight. Not enough of their games have been close enough to justify backing them without at least a double-digit spread. But they enter Wednesday in decent shape. There are no notations regarding their starters as of late Tuesday night.
The Pistons did draw some fire from their coach this week, who blasted them for not fighting hard enough. Is that a good reason to take them? Probably not. But it certainly doesn't hurt as it will put the team's efforts under some scrutiny in the game.
Double-check for playing status updates with Detroit (22:09 ET time of writing):: Team's Depth Chart
Lakers vs Pistons Prediction: Betting Tips
I think if you are into the popular markets in this game, which could be an ugly one, then you are just living and dying with Detroit's +7.0 handicap and that's it (bet365). In taking that, you can hope that the Lakers either don't play some of their starters or they overplay them at less than full fitness. You can also hope that Detroit has some self-respect and will respond to their coach's criticism.
Lastly, if the Lakers put up a big lead in the game, they might try to steal bench minutes for some of their ailing players. That could serve to keep the game close. A 20-point lead might regress back to a closer spread if LA plays its deep bench to try in the name of injury prevention.
There is also a chance that the Lakers favor a slow pace due to their injuries. They are the better team and therefore should have more control over the pace of the game. Bettors should go with UNDER 229.0 total points as well at -110 (bet365).
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