Pistons vs. Magic Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, March 1

A potential first-round matchup in the Eastern Conference playoffs takes place on Sunday, as the No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons hit the road to take on the Orlando Magic.

Orlando is the No. 7 seed in the East and remains without Franz Wagner (ankle) in this matchup. The Magic are 1.5 games out of the No. 6 spot, but they have just a half-game lead over the Miami Heat for the No. 7 seed.

Paolo Banchero and company have fallen short of expectations this season, and injuries have been a major reason why. Wagner, Banchero, Jalen Suggs and others have missed time this season, although Suggs (back) recently returned to the lineup after a three-game absence.

The Pistons are running away with the Eastern Conference, as they are 5.5 games up on Boston for the No. 1 seed and 20-7 on the road this season. The Pistons have thrived against teams that are .500 or better, going 20-7 in 27 games.

Can Detroit cover as a road favorite on Sunday?

Let’s take a look at the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this Eastern Conference clash.

Pistons vs. Magic Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Pistons -5.5 (-115)
Magic +5.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Pistons: -205
Magic: +170

Total

223.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Pistons vs. Magic How to Watch

Date: Sunday, March 1
Time: 6:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Kia Center
How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Pistons record: 44-14
Magic record: 31-27

Pistons vs. Magic Injury Reports

Pistons Injury Report

Wendell Moore Jr. – out
Bobi Klintman – out
Isaac Jones – out
Chaz Lanier – out
Isaiah Stewart – out

Magic Injury Report

Franz Wagner – out
Colin Castleton – out
Alex Morales – out
Anthony Black – questionable

Pistons vs. Magic Best NBA Prop Bets

Magic Best NBA Prop Bet

Jalen Suggs UNDER 17.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-119)

In today’s best NBA props at SI Betting, I broke down why Suggs is a fade candidate against Detroit:

Jalen Suggs returned from a three-game absence on Feb. 26 against the Houston Rockets, but he played just over 13 minutes in that game.

Suggs finished with three points and one board while shooting just 1-for-6 from the field. So, I’m not buying him against the No. 2 defense in the NBA – the Detroit Pistons – on Sunday.

This season, Suggs is averaging 13.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, but his minutes are going to be tough to predict in the next week after he came off the bench on Thursday.

Suggs is shooting under 44 percent from the field and under 33 percent from 3, so I’m not buying him to clear this line if he’s on a minutes restriction on Sunday. Suggs had 15 PRA in limited minutes against Detroit in October and just 18 PRA in 34 minutes back on Nov. 28.

Pistons vs. Magic Prediction and Pick

I’m buying the Pistons on the road in this matchup, even though these teams split two games prior to December earlier this season.

Detroit is the No. 2 defense in the NBA, and it’s going to make things tough on an Orlando team that has not shot the ball well this season, ranking 26th in effective field goal percentage.

The Magic usually have an advantage on the boards (10th in rebound percentage) this season, but the Pistons (third) have been better in that facet of the game as well. With Wagner out and Anthony Black now questionable, the Magic don’t have much room for error in this game.

Orlando is five games under .500 against teams that are .500 or better this season (13-18), and the Pistons are No. 4 in the league in net rating over their last 10 games even with Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart serving suspensions.

I’ll lay the points with the Pistons with this spread set inside two possessions.

Pick: Pistons -5.5 (-115 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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

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