Docs Website

54 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu

2026 Detroit Pistons Predictions with Best Bets and Odds to Win NBA Championship

by Spencer Toth - 10/2/2026

Detroit Pistons predictions Cade Cunningham

The Detroit Pistons won their first playoff series since 2008 last season, but a second round exit was still chalked up as a disappointment after they led the East with a 60-22 record. While the lack of a deep playoff run following a strong regular season will be a bitter pill to swallow, the Pistons have a young core that could be even better this season. They leaned on their defense last season with the second best defensive rating, but with key defenders moving on from Detroit, the Pistons will be hoping they have enough internal development combined with crafty offseason signings, is enough to keep them near the top. Will Detroit be able to make the deep playoff run their fan base has been craving, or will last year look like a flash in the pan as they slide down the standings?

Doc’s Sports offers NBA expert picks for every game on our NBA predictions page.

Detroit Pistons Offseason Recap

The Pistons kept their best three players in Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson in Detroit, but have done plenty of tinkering with the rest of their roster. Their middling offense needed to be addressed, and they added key shooters in John Collins and Isiah Joe over the summer. 

Collins is the biggest addition for Detroit, as he is a reliable scorer from all three levels, and will also help on the glass, averaging 7.7 rebounds across his nine-year career. Collins is the perfect floor-spacing big to play alongside Duren, who is one of the few traditional centers still left in the modern-day NBA. His ability to knock down the three will force defenders to stay tight to him on the outside, but he will also not hesitate to drive to the hoop for a lob with a physical presence in the paint. His defense leaves plenty to be desired, but a strong Pistons defense around him could see him finally elevate that area of his game. 

While the Pistons getting Collins and Joe will help their offense, the key defenders they lost are hard to overlook. Isaiah Stewart led the team in blocks with 1.6 last year, and was the only Piston to average more than one a game. The spitfire playstyle he brought to the court every night invigorated his teammates, and he was a very serviceable replacement when Duren missed time. He moves on to Memphis, while the Pistons also lost Tobias Harris to the Spurs, who started all 63 games he appeared in. Harris was elite at defending without fouling, as he found ways to challenge shooters, run around screens, and chip in on the glass on the defensive end. The Pistons still have Thompson anchoring their defense, but need development from Duren and the rest of the supporting cast if they want to remain an elite defensive team. 

2026 Detroit Pistons Season Expectations

The Pistons are expected to make the playoffs, but their 49.5 win total is a significant decrease from their 60-win campaign last year. Detroit’s offseason departures will hurt their depth, but after trading up to draft Ebuka Okorie, to give Cunningham support at point guard, the Pistons still have a suitable second unit. 

Detroit’s aspirations will hinge on the play of Cunningham, who has received MVP votes for the second straight season and made the first All-NBA First Team of his career. Cunningham is the type of player where, if the defender over commits to shutting down any one facet of his game, he will expose them somewhere else. He is a microwave scorer in his own right with 23.9 PPG last year, but will also not hesitate to pass the ball with the second most assists in the league with 9.9 per game, trailing only Nikola Jokic. His ability to make the right decision more often than not allows the rest of the Pistons offense to play free basketball, and is right among the MVP favorites with the seventh-shortest odds in the league. 

The Pistons finished with the tenth-best offensive rating last season, and will likely be right around that mark again this year. The bigger question is whether or not they can replicate their strong defensive showing, and that comes down to Thompson. He led the league in steals last year with 2.0 per game, and is often responsible for shutting down the opposition’s best guard. His ability to cut passing lanes is well documented, and now that he has physically developed heading into the fourth season of his career, Thompson can now prevent drives to the hoop. His three-ball is dreadful, but the impact he makes on defense more than makes up for his one-dimensional offensive game. 

Rounding out the starting five, the Pistons have elite marksman Duncan Robinson at shooting guard, with Paul Reed, Ron Holland II, and Dennis Jenkins coming off the bench. JB Bickerstaff has a unique ability to get the entire roster to buy into his defensive system, and the bench unit is no exception. Detroit is stacked with household names, but they have reliable stars who have now spent a couple years with the team and are due for an uptick in production. 

2026 Detroit Pistons Schedule Breakdown

The Pistons will get thrown right in the deep end as they open up the NBA regular season for the league with a matinee matchup against the Celtics before hitting the road to take on the Heat, 76ers, and Knicks. Their schedule opens up after that with five of their next seven opponents projected to miss the playoffs. Skipping ahead, the Pistons will be on the road for Christmas on a four-game trip, which is surprisingly their joint-longest road trip of the season. 

In the NBA Cup, the Pistons have a very winnable group alongside the Raptors, Magic, Bucks, and Nets. Their November 20th home game against Toronto will likely decide their fate, the first of three NBA Cup games in a seven-day span. 

2026 Detroit Pistons Betting Odds

The Detroit Pistons finished on top of the East last year with 60 wins, they were one of the best defensive teams in the league, yet are only projected for 49.5 wins this year. Looking at the playoff race, the Pistons aren’t even guaranteed to make the playoffs with -550 odds to make compared to +400 odds to miss. That gives them +290 odds to participate in the play-in tournament, but they still have +2500 odds to win the NBA championship which ties them for the sixth-shortest price. 

In the NBA Cup, they are +145 favorites to win their group with the Raptors (+180) and Magic (+270) their biggest threats, and have +1400 odds to lift the trophy. Finally, one prop that has caught my eye is Cade Cunningham’s odds to win MVP at +2500, and his +450 odds to lead the league in assists per game. 

2026 Detroit Pistons Season Expectations and Best Bets

Will the Pistons replicate their 60 win season from last year? The +750 odds for them to do so say otherwise. While that may be an aspiration that is just out of reach, expecting the Pistons to lose at least 11 more games than they did last year is quite the stretch. The Pistons are a very young team that can expect their current players to get better, and without discounting the impact Harris and Stewart made last year, this team is just as good heading into the new season. The buzz around other Eastern Conference rivals like the 76ers, Raptors, and Heat have taken the spotlight off this team, but Detroit is still very capable of winning 50 or more games. We will take the standard over for our first pick. 

One of the reasons the Pistons will do well is thanks to Cade Cunningham. The young guard is still only 25 years old, and has received MVP votes in back-to-back seasons. His ability to pass the ball while still having the green light to put up a high volume of shots is a recipe for individual success like few other players have. Almost every offensive possession will go through the hands of Cunningham, and he deserves to be a real front runner for MVP. He can win this in multiple ways, as some of the other candidates could get injured or Cunningham can elevate his game to the next level. At +2500 odds we will take a shot. 

Top Pick: Detroit Pistons Over 49.5 Wins +100

Pick: Cade Cunningham to win NBA MVP +2500

Get NBA picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.

 

Most Recent NBA Handicapping

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers