Pistons vs. Clippers – Preview
Sunday, 9:00pm ET • Intuit Dome
Our Pick: Pistons -3.5

Tonight (Sunday, Dec. 28), the Detroit Pistons head to the Intuit Dome to face the Los Angeles Clippers at 9:00 p.m. ET. Detroit enters 24–7 with a +6.6 average point differential, while L.A. is 9–21 at -3.8 (and riding a three-game win streak). The spread has Detroit laying -3.5, and the season-long profile says that’s a fair ask given how consistently the Pistons have outplayed teams. 

Detroit is also 7–3 over its last 10 despite a 131–129 loss at Utah on Friday. When the Pistons win, they tend to win possessions—rebounding, running, and forcing opponents to defend every trip. 

The clearest path to a cover is Detroit’s transition game. The Pistons average 18.0 fast-break points per game, and the Clippers are 27th in opponent fast-break points allowed at 16.8. That’s the kind of edge Cade Cunningham can amplify by pushing pace, forcing cross-matches, and creating early-clock paint touches. Detroit also lives at the rim, scoring 58.4 points in the paint per game, which travels well even when the jumpers go cold. 

On the efficiency side, Detroit’s numbers support the eye test: a 117.8 offensive rating, 111.3 defensive rating, and a +6.5 net rating. Cunningham has been the steady engine, averaging 26.5 points and 9.6 assists per game. The Clippers can score with stars too—James Harden (26.3 ppg) and Kawhi Leonard (26.2 ppg) are both producing—but L.A. has struggled to string together stops, posting a 118.6 defensive rating alongside a 114.1 offensive rating. 

Injuries/availability also tilt this matchup toward Detroit’s strengths. The NBA’s official injury report lists Clippers center Ivica Zubac as out, along with Bradley Beal and Bogdan Bogdanovic, while Detroit’s report is limited to G League assignments. Without Zubac’s interior size, Detroit’s paint pressure and transition chances become even more valuable possessions—exactly what you want when laying a small number. 

If Detroit plays to its season profile—win the paint, win the break, and defend just enough in the half court while staying composed in the fourth—the cover is there tonight, too.