Pistons vs Kings

Cade Cunningham and the Pistons hit Sacramento on a two-game win streak and a 7-2 run over their last nine, while the Kings are just 2-8 in their last 10 despite a morale-boosting overtime win over Houston that only nudged them to 7-22. Detroit’s core of Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson is intact outside of Ronald Holland II’s knee absence, but Sacramento is missing Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and Drew Eubanks, with Doug McDermott and Devin Carter banged up, leaving Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan to carry an already thin rotation. With Detroit 9-4 on the road and leading the East, and Cunningham historically torching the Kings (over 26 points per game in four meetings) while LaVine’s usual dominance against the Pistons is off the table due to his ankle injury, the talent and form gap justifies laying the heavy price on the moneyline even if the raw value is modest. This moneyline recommendation on Detroit rates as an A- pick: very strong likelihood of cashing, best used as a parlay anchor rather than a large straight play. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 10:08am

DeMar DeRozan now has to manufacture a huge share of Sacramento’s offense with Sabonis, LaVine and Eubanks all sidelined, stripping the Kings of their hub in the half court and their most explosive perimeter scorer just as they face a Detroit group that’s holding opponents under 110 points per night over its recent 7-2 stretch. Even with the Kings averaging 111.5 points on the year and Detroit humming at 118.2 in their last 10, those numbers were built with Sacramento healthier, and this version of the Kings—down their All-Star big and their primary fast-break finisher—projects to bog down against a long Pistons frontcourt built around Duren and switchable wings like Thompson. Add in realistic blowout risk with Detroit’s depth advantage and Sacramento’s poor recent efficiency (2-8 in their last 10, giving up 120 per game), and the path to the under is slightly stronger than to a full shootout, though the Pistons’ offensive ceiling keeps variance high enough that this grades only as a B pick on Under 227.5 rather than a premium edge. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 10:08am

Jalen Duren’s interior dominance and Detroit’s overall depth make laying the road number appealing against a Kings team that’s been outscored by roughly eight points a night over its last 10 and now has to defend without Sabonis anchoring the glass or LaVine providing any three-level scoring punch. The Pistons have been one of the league’s most reliable road teams (9-4 away) and are coming off convincing wins where Cunningham has orchestrated efficiently and Duren has punished smaller or undermanned frontcourts, while Sacramento’s current rotation leans heavily on Westbrook and DeRozan plus young bigs like Maxime Raynaud—an alignment that already struggled badly in recent losses when even marginally out-talented. Given Cade’s history of strong performances against the Kings, the absence of LaVine who has historically roasted Detroit, and the Pistons’ recent double-digit win profile, Detroit -8 earns a B+ grade as a solid stand-alone position with upside if Sacramento’s shooting goes south for long stretches. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 10:08am