By Chris Havlicek Contributor
Updated 12/21/23 3:13pm ET
The Detroit Pistons are flirting with NBA history, and oddsmakers are letting you wager on their losing ways.
Detroit, which owns a league-worst 2-25 record, now has an adjusted win total of 9.5 at DraftKings. The over is a -1600 favorite, while the under is +900. That means the sportsbook is offering 9-to-1 odds on the Pistons not reaching double-digit wins.
Only the 1972-73 Philadelphia Sixers have ever finished a full 82-game NBA schedule with single-digit wins. In order to avoid that distinction, Detroit must finish 8-47 or better in its final 55 games.
The Pistons are currently riding a 24-game losing streak, which is only two shy of the league’s single-season record. They host the Utah Jazz on Thursday and are actually 2.5-point favorites, marking just the third time all season Detroit is favored. The Pistons lost by nine and 19 points the two previous times.
Unsurprisingly, Detroit’s advanced metrics match their record. Their league-worst net rating of -11.8 would rank fourth-worst all-time. By comparison, last year’s team, which finished 17-65 and played without Cade Cunningham most of the year, had a -7.9 net rating.
The Pistons currently have a point-differential of -12.1, which would rank third-worst in NBA history.
Another indicator is their performance against the point spread, which is usually considered the great equalizer. But oddsmakers have been unable to capture their futility, as Detroit has a record of 9-17-1 against the spread, which is second-worst to the Atlanta Hawks.
DraftKings has also posted odds on correctly predicting the exact game when Detroit will snap this current losing streak. For example, losing their next five games but beating the Rockets in Houston on New Year’s Day has a +2200 payout.
If their skid never ends and Detroit finishes the season on a 79-game losing streak, DraftKings is offering 1,000-to-1 odds. Ironically, those are their same odds for winning the NBA title.
Photo Courtesy: Icon Sportswire
