The Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons highlight a 10-game slate tonight, and this matchup has a lot of potential to go down to the wire. For this 2016 contest of Eastern Conference teams, read on to see the live stream link, betting line, TV schedule, a preview and prediction.
Game Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: FS Detroit, Sportsnet One
Location: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, Mich.
Live Stream: NBA League Pass ($6.99 for individual game)
Free Live Stream: Stream2U
Betting Line: -1.5 TOR; 206.5 O/U
Separated by only a couple hundred miles and the American-Canadian border, the Raptors had to The Palace to play the Pistons in a battle of Eastern Conference playoff teams.
This one features a pretty good matchup where the Raptors have one two of the last three games between these squads, however, the home team has won each time. Advantage Pistons.
But Toronto has been tearing it up lately. They've been riding the terrific play of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan all the way to the second seed in the East, and are hot on the Cleveland Cavaliers' tail. Lowry has averaged 22 points per game in his past five contests, and DeRozan 26. But they'll have to contend with a couple of solid defenders in Reggie Jackson and Stanley Johnson, who will likely carry the duties of guarding the Raptors' backcourt duo most of the game.
Down low, we'll see two of the premier young centers in the East as Andre Drummond and Jonas Valanciunas battle it out. That said, Drummond has the distint advantage in defensive and rebounding prowess. Valanciunas will have to make Drummond pay with his mid-range game if he wants to go toe-to-toe with him production-wise.
Ultimately, I see the Pistons hanging tough in this game. The Raptors are slight favorites just because of their recent play, but the Pistons are a tough team that is capable of playing with the better teams in the East thanks to Drummond and Jackson. Expect them to give Toronto all they've got.
Prediction: Pistons 101, Raptors 99
