Celtics vs. Pistons Prediction and Odds: Can the Pistons Push the Winning Streak Further?

The Boston Celtics (42-16) are about to take on the Detroit Pistons (32-26) amid the latter’s most successful stretch of play since the 2014-15 season.

The Celtics are essentially locked into the second seed in the Eastern Conference but are turning the heat up on their opponents as they round back into championship form. They won nine of their last 10 games and are 3-0 against the Pistons this season, the last of those being a 24-point home win on Dec. 12.

The Pistons are fresh off a nine-point home win over the Los Angeles Clippers and are up to 15-13 in their arena, an impressive mark for a team that went 94-290 over the last five seasons. They are also up into the sixth seed with a four-game lead ahead of the Orlando Magic, the first team in the Play-In Tournament as of the time of writing.

Here, we will preview the matchup and share our favorite Celtics vs. Pistons betting picks for Wednesday. 

Celtics vs. Pistons Betting Odds for Wednesday, February 26

The Celtics are 25-32-1 (43.9 percent) against the spread, 14-15-1 (48.3 percent) ATS on the road, and 24-30-1 (44.4 percent) ATS as a favorite.

The Pistons are 32-24-2 (57.1 percent) ATS, 13-14-1 (48.2 percent) ATS at home, and 21-14-2 (60 percent) ATS as an underdog.

Celtics vs. Pistons Prediction

Boston Celtics Preview

The Celtics are incredibly balanced in everything they do. That might fly in the face of their three-point dominant offensive style, but it’s a true characteristic that has come to define their team. 

Boston lights up the three-point arc better than anyone in the league and is on pace to make the most threes in a season in NBA history. That’s while holding opponents to 34.4 percent outside shooting, the third-lowest mark in the league.

The Celtics are also extremely versatile on defense because of their personnel. That allowed them to post the fifth-best defensive rating on top of being fourth in offensive rating, resulting in a +9.5 net rating (third).

But their success doesn’t end there. Boston’s reserves have the second-best point differential per 100 possessions of any team in basketball, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder. That’s a significant statistic and becomes even more important in the playoffs when stars play heavy minutes and need adequate production from their bench in their brief periods of rest.

The Celtics have been better on the road than they have been at home thus far, outsourcing their opponents by 10.1 points per 100 possessions. They also raised that number to +12.1 against teams with middle-10 net ratings, which fits the Pistons, who are 15th.

Despite being 3-0 straight-up against the Pistons, the Celtics only covered the spread once across their meetings. 

Jayson Tatum has been at his best as a facilitator recently, leading the team in assists in three straight games. It will be interesting to see if he continues taking on the role of the initiators against a team that allowed the eighth-fewest assists per game, or if he will return to looking to score first.

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Detroit Pistons Preview

Give J.B. Bickerstaff his respect! The former Cleveland Cavaliers coach worked his magic with another young team and helped drag them out of the basement to, if the season ended today, a guaranteed playoff spot. 

Detroit is up to 13th in offensive and 12th in defensive rating with a net rating of +1.1 (15th) for the season. They outscored their opponents by 16 points per 100 possessions during their seven-game win streak, although they only played one team, the Clippers, with a winning record during that time.

The most noticeable change in Detroit's style is its free-flowing offense. Whereas Cade Cunningham was tasked with creating in confined spaces due to poor spacing in years past, there’s now movement and sensible spacing, vertically and horizontally, more times than not.

Cunningham has also been brilliant and should make an All-NBA team at this rate. The fourth-year pro averaged 25.8 points, 9.5 assists, and 6.3 rebounds on 46 percent shooting and scored 70 points in his last two games.

Where this game becomes intriguing is the mathematics of it. Detroit is only 17th in made threes per game, and as everyone knows, three points are worth more than two. 

Combine that with them ranking 22nd in threes allowed per game, and there’s a sizable advantage for Boston purely based on math. 

The Pistons are also 22nd in made free throws per game, which means they aren’t eating up the difference at the charity stripe.

Detroit posted a -5.3 net rating (11th) against teams with top-10 net ratings. They will get a chance to improve that mark amid their best run of form.

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Celtics vs. Pistons Betting Pick

• Celtics vs. Pistons pick: Celtics -4.5 (110) at BetMGM 

The Celtics are victims of their own success in the sense that they are often tasked with covering lines that are inflated to account for their dominance. 

However, Detroit’s recent winning streak and home-court advantage leveled the playing field quite significantly. That’s why we like Boston on the spread, seeing as they already beat the Pistons by six, 10, and 24 points, are better on the road, and don’t have to win by many points to cover.

The Pistons only beat one team with a winning record during their current streak. We acknowledge their growth but won’t be tricked into believing they’re closing in on the Celtics. 

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How to Watch Celtics vs. Pistons on 2/26/25

• When: Wednesday, February 26 @ 7:00 p.m. ET

• Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI

• TV: NBA League Pass

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