76ers vs. Pistons Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, March 12

The Philadelphia 76ers are in a tough spot right now, as they’ve fallen to the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and are without arguably their three best players in Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George.

Maxey has been ruled out for multiple weeks with a finger injury, leaving a massive workload on rookie VJ Edgecombe’s plate in the coming games.

On Thursday night, the Sixers are major road underdogs against the No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons, who snapped a four-game skid with a blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.

Detroit has dominated at home this season (23-8), and it’s looking to hold off the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Can Cade Cunningham and company make quick work of the short-handed Sixers tonight?

Let’s dive into the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this Eastern Conference showdown.

76ers vs. Pistons Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

76ers +15.5 (-112)
Pistons -15.5 (-108)

Moneyline

76ers: +700
Pistons: -1100

Total

221.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

76ers vs. Pistons How to Watch

Date: Thursday, March 11
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Little Caesars Arena
How to Watch (TV): Prime Video
76ers record: 35-30
Pistons record: 46-18

76ers vs. Pistons Injury Reports

76ers Injury Report

Joel Embiid – out
Tyrese Maxey – out
Paul George – out
Johni Broome – out
Kelly Oubre Jr. – out
Adem Bona – questionable

Pistons Injury Report

Isaac Jones – out
Bobi Klintman – out
Chaz Lanier – available
Caris LeVert – out
Ausar Thompson – out
Tolu Smith – out
Wendell Moore Jr. – out

76ers vs. Pistons Best NBA Prop Bet

76ers Best NBA Prop Bet

VJ Edgecombe OVER 28.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-111)

In today’s best NBA props for SI Betting, I shared why Edgecombe should thrive in an expanded role:

Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe is going to have a massive role until Maxey or Embiid returns, and that makes him an intriguing prop bet on Thursday night.

The Detroit Pistons are No. 2 in the NBA in defensive rating this season, but Edgecombe carried a huge workload in his last game, taking 15 shots and six free throws while dishing out five assists. He finished with 21 points, five dimes and five boards in the win over Memphis.

In three games without Maxey this season, Edgecombe is averaging 23.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He’s scored at least 21 points in every game and picked up at least four boards in every matchup. That gives him a solid floor in any PRA prop, as he’s recorded 31, 34 and 31 PRA in those three games.

I expect Edgecombe’s usage to remain sky-high on Thursday night, and that should help him clear this line – even against a tough defense.

76ers vs. Pistons Prediction and Pick

Even with Maxey and Embiid out of their last game against Memphis, the Sixers hung 139 points on the Grizzlies.

While I’m not expecting that in this matchup, it is worth noting that both of these teams are struggling on the defensive end over their last 10 games.

Philly is just 22nd in the NBA in defensive rating while the Pistons have fallen to 13th during that stretch – they rank No. 2 overall for the entire season.

The Sixers have the sixth-best OVER record in the NBA this season, and I don’t see them slowing down this Detroit offense, which dropped 138 points in a much-needed win over Brooklyn on Tuesday. Detroit has also cleared 221.5 points in four of its last five games.

As long as Philly is competent enough to hover around 100 points, I think the OVER is the bet on Thursday.

Pick: OVER 221.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and win your first $5 bet to get $200 in bonus bets instantly.