Pistons vs. Mavericks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Dec. 18

Detroit is a road favorite on Thursday.

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg is a solid prop target on Thursday. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons are still the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they may have some doubters to silence after the New York Knicks captured the NBA Cup title and are now favored to win the East this season.

The Pistons are 21-5 in the 2025-26 campaign and have won four games in a row heading into a road date against the Dallas Mavericks. 

Cooper Flagg is coming off a 42-point game against the Utah Jazz in this last appearance, and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is hoping to get his team back in the play-in conversation in the West.

Anthony Davis (calf) is questionable for this game, a major concern for a Dallas team that is just 4-12 in the 16 games that he’s missed this season. Dallas is a much better team at home (7-9) than on the road (3-7) this season, but oddsmakers still have the Pistons favored in this matchup.

Let’s examine the latest odds, prop bets and a prediction for this game on Thursday night. 

Pistons vs. Mavericks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Pistons -7.5 (-105)
• Mavs +7.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Pistons: -270
• Mavs: +220

Total

• 229.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

Pistons vs. Mavericks How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, Dec. 18
• Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
• Venue: American Airlines Center
• How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
• Pistons record: 21-5
• Mavs record: 10-17

Pistons vs. Mavericks Injury Reports

Pistons Injury Report

• Isaac Jones – out
• Bobi Klintman – out
• Chaz Lanier – out
• Wendell Moore Jr. – out
• Tolu Smith – out

Mavs Injury Report

• Anthony Davis – questionable
• Dante Exum – out
• Kyrie Irving – out
• Dereck Lively II – out
• D’Angelo Russell – questionable
• Brandon Williams – questionable

Pistons vs. Mavericks Best NBA Prop Bets

Mavericks Best NBA Prop Bet

• Cooper Flagg 18+ Points (-160)

In today’s best NBA props column for SI Betting, I broke down why I love Cooper Flagg as a scorer in this matchup: 

No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg is really starting to come into his own as of late.

In the month of December (six games), Flagg is averaging 24.2 points per game while shooting 53.5 percent from the field. The young forward has not seen his 3-point shot fall in the 2025-26 season (he's shooting just 25.0 percent from 3), but he's starting to find his scoring groove, putting up 18 or more points in six of his last seven games.

The Detroit Pistons are one of the better defensive teams in the league, but Flagg's usage should be pretty high in this matchup, as he's averaging 16.8 shots per game in December. If Anthony Davis (calf, questionable) sits out for the second game in a row, that number would likely jump on Thursday night.

Flagg is worth a look after scoring a career-high 42 points (on 13-of-27 shooting) in a loss to Utah on Monday.

Pistons vs. Mavericks Prediction and Pick

These are two of the best defensive teams in the NBA this season, as the Pistons are second in defensive rating while the Mavericks clock in at No. 8.

Dallas started the season as the best UNDER team in the league, but it has moved up a bit, going 15-12 to the UNDER in 27 games.

With Davis questionable for this matchup, I think the UNDER could be worth a look once again on Thursday.

Dallas is just 28th in the league in offensive rating, and it lacks a true No. 1 option – even with as good as Flagg has been – with Davis out of the lineup. So, if the star big man sits, this total may tick down a few points.

Detroit is holding teams to just 113.0 points per game this season, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this game ends up with the winner being the first squad to reach 110 tonight. 

Pick: UNDER 229.5 (-115 at DraftKings)

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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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