Pistons look to capture fifth consecutive victory vs. Rockets: How to Watch, Betting Odds, Predictions, Injuries

Pistons forward Ausar Thompson will duel against twin brother Amen Thompson tonight on Amazon Prime Video.

Jan 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) controls the ball as Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) defends during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

For just the fourth time in their three-year NBA careers, Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson will face off against his slightly older twin brother Amen Thompson.

Ausar spoke briefly about the brotherly matchup after the Pistons win against the New Orleans Pelicans. Ausar called facing his brother "easy" in the post-game interview Wednesday night. Beyond the matchup between the Thompson twins, there's a lot to look forward to with this matchup.

From December 15 to January 13, Kevin Durant had 22 points or more in every game. Since January 13, Durant he's had two games with 36 or more points, including a 39-point explosion against the Minnesota Timberwolves January 16. Durant is on fire and he slow down for the Detroit Pistons.

Nov 10, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) shoots over Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) in the fourth quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

How to watch Detroit Pistons vs. Houston Rockets tonight

The Detroit Pistons look to defend home court tonight against the Houston Rockets at 7:00pm Eastern on Amazon Prime Video. The Pistons are looking for their fifth straight regular season victory and they're also looking for their eighth win in nine games. The Rockets are sitting at No. 4 in the West with a 26-16 win-loss record. They travel to Michigan Friday night to face the 32-10 Pistons inside Little Caesars Arena.

The last matchup was a fun one

The Pistons and the Rockets faced off once before during this season. In just the second regular season game for both teams, Cade Cunningham and the Pistons survived Houston in a 115 to 111 battle. Durant dropped 37 points in the matchup.

The Pistons are overwhelmingly the best defense in the NBA during the month of January. Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff is leading this young core to a 99.8 defensive rating this month. The Oklahoma City Thunder sit behind them at 107.4. This tenacious effort will be vital to slowing down the versatile scoring efforts of Durant.

Injuries

The Pistons have a somewhat sizable injury report going into this Friday night matchup. Caris LeVert, Ron Holland III, and Cade Cunningham are all listed on the injury report with an illness. LeVert is listed as doubtful, Holland is listed as probable, and Cunningham is listed as questionable. The red hot Duncan Robinson is listed as probable with a lower back strain.

Rockets guard Aaron Holiday missed Thursday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers due to back spasms and it's unclear whether he'll play tonight against Detroit. Center Steven Adams sprained his ankle Sunday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Betting odds and predictions

The Pistons are favored to win the matchup with just a -3.5 point spread.

This means that a bet on the Detroit Pistons to win by the point spread would require the Pistons to win tonight by four or more points. ESPN Analytics has Detroit winning tonight with just a 50.5% chance. DraftKings Sportsbook and ESPN are expecting a close matchup between the two championship contenders.

• Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. 
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