Detroit Pistons vs Brooklyn Nets Picks and Predictions for Friday October 30 2026
Brooklyn is still looking for its first win, and now Detroit comes to town. That’s not exactly the opponent I’d want to see if I were the Nets. The Pistons are 4-1, they’ve been playing good defense, and they just held Charlotte to 89 points Wednesday. Brooklyn has been scoring enough to stay competitive at times, but the Nets haven’t been able to finish games. I don’t see that changing Friday.
Detroit visits Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, for a 7:30 PM ET tipoff. It’s an NBA Cup group game, and the Pistons are favored by 7.5 points. The total is 225.5. Detroit has been the better team at both ends, and I think the spread is reasonable. I’m taking the Pistons to cover and looking at the Under. Get prepared for all the NBA games with our free NBA picks.
Detroit Pistons Have Been Winning With Defense
Detroit is 4-1, and the Pistons have won three of their last four games. They beat Philadelphia 106-93 Sunday, lost 111-97 to New York Tuesday, then bounced back Wednesday with a 97-89 win over Charlotte. That’s two games in the last three where Detroit held its opponent under 100 points. I like that. The Pistons haven’t been scoring a ton themselves, but they’re making opponents work for everything.
Detroit has been allowing fewer than 105 points a game, which is one of the better defensive marks in the league. The Pistons have been controlling the glass, getting back on defense and forcing teams into difficult shots. The offense hasn’t been great, averaging a little more than 106, but that’s enough when you’re keeping the other team around 100. Brooklyn has been giving up too many easy baskets, so Detroit should have a chance to score more than it did against Charlotte.
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Cade Cunningham has been leading the way, averaging around 27 points and eight assists. He’s been the guy Detroit turns to when it needs a basket, and he’s been doing a good job getting teammates involved. The Pistons are missing Jalen Duren with a hamstring injury, which hurts their rebounding and inside scoring. Isaiah Joe has also been dealing with a hip problem. Those absences matter, but Detroit has been winning anyway. The defense has been good enough to cover up some of the missing offense.
Brooklyn Nets Still Haven’t Won
Brooklyn is 0-4, and the Nets have been finding different ways to lose. They lost 125-121 to Cleveland, got blown out 136-109 by Indiana, then lost 125-124 to Boston Tuesday. That Boston game had to hurt. Brooklyn scored 124 points, gave itself a chance to win on the road, and still came up short. That’s been the problem. The Nets can score, but they can’t get enough stops when it matters.
Brooklyn has been allowing more than 125 points a game, which is a terrible number. The Nets have been playing at a decent pace and getting some offense, but the defense has been a mess. Detroit isn’t a high-scoring team, so Brooklyn might be able to keep this one close if it can force the Pistons into a bad shooting night. But that’s asking a lot from a team that hasn’t shown it can defend consistently. The Nets need to make Detroit uncomfortable, and I haven’t seen enough of that from them.
Brooklyn has been getting some good individual performances, but it hasn’t translated into wins. Egor Demin has been dealing with a leg injury, and Tyler Bilodeau is out with a shoulder problem. The Nets are young, and that’s part of the issue. They can look terrific for a quarter, then give away ten points in a couple of minutes. Against Detroit, those mistakes could be expensive. The Pistons have been good at taking advantage of turnovers and getting easy baskets.
Detroit Pistons vs Brooklyn Nets Picks and Predictions
Detroit Pistons -7.5 (-110)
I’m taking Detroit minus the points. The Pistons are 4-1, Brooklyn is 0-4, and Detroit has been playing much better defense. That’s the difference for me. Brooklyn can score, and the Nets nearly beat Boston Tuesday, so I’m not expecting Detroit to walk in and win by 25. But the Pistons have been getting stops, and Brooklyn hasn’t. Detroit should be able to control the glass and get enough easy baskets to build a lead. The danger is Cunningham having a bad shooting night or Brooklyn getting hot from three. But I trust Detroit more over four quarters. Give me the Pistons by ten or twelve.
Under 225.5 Points (-110)
I’ll take Under 225.5. Detroit has been playing some low-scoring games, including a 106-93 win over Philadelphia and a 97-89 win over Charlotte. The Pistons are comfortable winning ugly, and I think that’s how they’ll approach Brooklyn. The Nets have been giving up a lot of points, so there’s a chance Detroit scores more than usual and pushes this Over. But the Pistons don’t need to play fast to win. They can slow things down, defend and make Brooklyn work for its shots. I see something like Detroit 113-104, which keeps us Under.
Final Picks: Detroit Pistons -7.5 (-110) and Under 225.5 Points (-110)
Preview prepared October 29, 2026.
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