Wednesday’s six-game slate in the NBA is headlined by a double-header on ESPN. It tips off with a showdown between the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons. Oklahoma City is 45-14 and riding a three-game winning streak; Detroit is 42-14 but looking to bounce back from a loss to San Antonio.
Let’s dive into my Thunder vs. Pistons prediction.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Detroit Pistons odds
Money line: Thunder +176 / Pistons -210
Spread: Thunder +5.5 (-112) / Pistons -5.5 (-108)
Total: Over 218.5 (-115) / Under 218.5 (-105)
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Detroit Pistons best bet: Pistons -5.5 (-108)
This is obviously a potential NBA Finals preview. However, this game almost certainly won’t resemble what we would see in the playoffs. In fact, don’t be surprised if the Thunder’s effort level on Wednesday is eerily similar to that of cellar-dwelling teams that are positioning themselves to acquire a top pick in the 2026 draft. That’s not to say that Oklahoma City is going to completely punt on this game right from the start, but it could wave the white flag sooner rather than later if a deficit begins to mount.
OKC is on the road, on the second leg of a back-to-back, going up against the best team in the East, and missing two of its best players. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out for at least one more game with an abdominal issue. Jalen Williams is dealing with a hamstring injury and won’t return until sometime in March at the earliest. Ajay Mitchell would normally get plenty of playing time with SGA and Williams on the shelf, but Mitchell (abdominal) is also sidelined (expected to miss at least a couple more games).
Oklahoma City is still playing decent basketball and managed to defeat Toronto on Tuesday night, but its early-season dominance is a thing of the past – at least until Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams get back. OKC is just 8-6 straight up in its past 14 contests. The Pistons, on the other hand, are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games and 5-1 ATS in their last six. Jalen Duren is coming off back-to-back double-double performances since returning from his two-game suspension (26 points and 13 boards against the Bulls, 25 points and 14 boards against the Spurs).