NBA odds: Pistons looking to take advantage of struggling Celtics

The Celtics are struggling against NBA odds, and righting the ship on Tuesday night could prove tough against the Detroit Pistons, who already topped Boston in January. Sportsbook.com has the Pistons as a five-point underdog.

Boston Celtics (-5) at Detroit Pistons – 7:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV

The Pistons (21-38, 25-31-3 ATS) are caught in a three-game losing streak, including Saturday’s 95-88 loss to lowly Golden State. Detroit hasn’t faired very well against the spread, either, managing just a .500 record against NBA odds in its last 10 games. If those numbers aren’t discouraging enough, the Pistons have been terrible at home. Although they’ve covered two of their past three at the Palace, the Pistons are just 2-6-2 ATS in their past 10 games at the sportsbook.

A lack of scoring is killing Detroit. The Pistons rank second-last in the NBA at 92.4 points per game, ahead of only pathetic New Jersey. Richard Hamilton leads the team in scoring at 19.2 PPG, but Rip is much better served as a No. 2 option—not as a team’s sole scoring threat. Third-year point guard Rodney Stuckey is at least enjoying a solid season, averaging 17.9 points and 4.8 assists per game. Defensively, the Pistons are a very respectable 10th in the NBA at 96.8 points per outing, but their dominant days are clearly behind them.

Boston (36-21, 21-35-1 ATS) is licking its wounds after two straight losses—including a brutal, embarrassing 104-96 home loss to New Jersey, the league’s worst team by a large margin. The Celtics are murdering sportsbook bettors right now; the Jersey loss was Boston’s fourth straight against the spread and dropped its record to 2-8 ATS over the past 10 games. Boston is slightly better when traveling—not that that’s saying much—by covering five of its last 10 games away from home.

If there are any positives to draw for Boston over the past few weeks, it might be the re-emergence of Ray Allen. The veteran guard was averaging 23.0 points over his last five games before the New Jersey contest, well ahead of his season average of 16.5. He struggled against the Nets, though, shooting 3-11 for 10 points. Its clear moving forward Boston must rely on its No. 1 defense, which allows a paltry 94.2 points per game. That could be problematic moving forward, as the Celts have allowed at least 104 points per game in four consecutive outings.

Detroit won 92-86 when these teams met in January. The victory dropped Boston to 6-4 straight up in its last 10 games against Detroit, not to mention a 5-5 split against the spread. The total went under, the fifth time in six games it has done so between these squads. Sportsbook.com has the total set at 188.