NBA Picks: Celtics vs Pistons NBA Odds – March 2, 2010: Looking to put an end to a 2-game skid, the Atlantic Division leading (36-21) Boston Celtics [-5] pay a visit to the sports betting odds underdog (21-38) Detroit Pistons [+5] this evening on NBA-TV. This Eastern Conference showdown is slated to get underway at 7:40 PM ET (4:40 PM PT) live from the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, MI. For those interested in betting on the OVER/UNDER, NBA Odds makers at SPORTSBETTING.com believe the Celtics and Pistons will score a combined total of 189 points in this one.
For Boston, injuries and poor defense has deflated this team a bit this season. With Paul Pierce expected to return to the lineup, the Celtics need their floor leader to step up his game on the defensive end. Pierce missed three games due to a sprained right thumb, but rejoined the team in Monday’s practice.
Boston is coming off a 108-88 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, followed by a 104-96 defeat at the hands of the league-worst New Jersey Nets 48 hours later. “In this league you have to get stops, it's that simple,” Kevin Garnett said. “A team gets into a rhythm, and it's hard to turn it off.”
But the Pistons aren’t doing much better these days, as they come in losers of three in a row and ranked 29th overall in scoring. “We have some veteran guys on this team who have been in this position before and now we have people who make mistakes that they normally don't,” Detroit head coach John Kuester stated. “It's been a dilemma of late.”
