Pistons vs. Rockets – Can Detroit Hang

It has been anything but a vintage year for the Detroit Pistons, but the team has continued to scratch and claw to remain in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. Tonight the Pistons will embark on part two of the dreaded “Texas Two-Step” after losing to the Dallas Mavericks last night, but that game was without Richard Hamilton who had a groin strain.

Hamilton should probably play tonight, which makes the 9-point spread listed on the BetOnline sportsbook in favor of the Rockets seem a little bit high.

The Rockets are an excellent home team at 27-8 but the Pistons are pretty solid on the road and have a history of doing well away from home. They are 16-16 on the year away from the Palace of Auburn Hills, a good mark for a team that’s only .500 on the year.

Speaking of that .500 record, Detroit is still a prideful team and they will fight for their lives to avoid going under the .500 mark on the year. The veterans on the team have been known to coast a little bit, but when they hustle and play hard and motivated like they do in the playoffs in makes Detroit an entirely different team.

Tayshaun Prince also matches up well against Ron Artest with his length and quickness, and Artest often tries to bully Prince which could lead to early fouls and change the outcome of the game.

The Rockets beat Detroit by 3 in Detroit on January 25th and another close game should be the outcome in this one. While the Pistons might not have enough to win with Rasheed Wallace and Allen Iverson both likely to miss this contest, they definitely have enough firepower to win this one and should at least be able to keep it close.

The Pistons don’t have an answer for Yao Ming, especially with the lengthy, athletic Wallace missing time, and that’s where the Rockets have the biggest advantage in this contest.
Aaron Brooks has played well for the Rockets since Rafer Alston was traded and has the ability to light up the scoreboard in a hurry, Rodney Stuckey is far too big and physical for the 160-170 pound Brooks to cover consistently. Stuckey should get more touches and use his physicality to punish Brooks in this game, especially with Hamilton ailing, and that should allow Detroit to at least cover the spread on the road in Houston.

The Pick: Detroit (+9)