Two of the three best records in the NBA meet up tonight when the Detroit Pistons (45-15) roll into the Frost Bank Center to take on the San Antonio Spurs (44-17). These squads met 12 days ago in Detroit, where the Spurs won fairly comfortably, 114-103.
Pistons vs. Spurs tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday from San Antonio, TX.
Below, we’ll break down our Pistons vs. Spurs prediction and Thursday NBA picks for PrizePicks. Use PrizePicks NBA to make picks on player projections and win real money if you’re right.
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Pistons vs. Spurs Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
The Pistons remain perhaps the best story in the NBA, going from the worst record in the league two years ago to being tied for the fewest losses this season and being a full-fledged contender.
Detroit is led by MVP candidate PG Cade Cunningham and fourth-year breakout big man C Jalen Duren. Duren increased his scoring average from 11.8 per game last year to 18.6 this year and is the current favorite to win Most Improved Player, returning a 1.56x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks.
We now move from a potential Eastern Conference dynasty to a potential Western Conference dynasty in the Spurs. San Antonio has cemented itself as legit multiple times this season, including going 4-1 against the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder and handily defeating these Pistons on the road two weeks ago.
The Spurs have a crop of young talent, ranging from reigning Rookie of the Year G Stephon Castle to a face-of-the-NBA candidate in C Victor Wembanyama. Wemby has the third-best net rating (+15.2) among all players averaging at least 25 minutes. Moreover, he leads the sport in blocks per night at 2.9 and has done it in just 29 MPG.
This dominance has Wembanyama as the clear favorite to win this year’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, returning a 1.13x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks.
Pistons vs. Spurs Spread, Over/Under
The Spurs enter Thursday’s game as 4.5-point home favorites, returning a 1.58x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Pistons are road underdogs with a 2.27x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 34 states.
- Spread: San Antonio Spurs -4.5 (1.96x payout)
- Over/Under: 228.5 (1.85x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Pistons 2.27x | Spurs 1.58x
Team Picks payouts are live as of publishing and are subject to change.
Pistons vs. Spurs Injury Report
Let’s dive into the full Pistons vs. Spurs injury report for Thursday, via NBA.com.
Detroit Pistons Injury Report
- N/A: no injuries reported
San Antonio Spurs Injury Report
- SF Harrison Barnes (Ankle): OUT
- C Mason Plumlee (conditioning): OUT
Pistons vs. Spurs Prediction on Spread
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Pistons vs. Spurs prediction on the spread for Thursday, March 5, on PrizePicks.
- The Spurs are 34-26-2 (56.7%) against the spread (ATS), the fifth-best cover percentage in the NBA.
- Over their last 10 games, San Antonio has the best net rating (+15), 4.5 points better than the Detroit Pistons (+10.5).
- As mentioned above, San Antonio is 1-0 against Detroit this season in a game in which they were 1.5-point underdogs.
- This is a tough stylistic matchup for Detroit because its offense relies so heavily on scoring in the paint, with 55.2% of its total points coming from 2-point range (third).
- The problem for the Pistons could be Wembanyama, who leads the Spurs to the seventh-fewest PPG ceded in the paint (46.6).
Pistons vs. Spurs Picks for PrizePicks Today: 3/5/26
Here are two of the top Pistons vs. Spurs to consider for Thursday, March 5, on PrizePicks. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks are headlined by PG Cade Cunningham and C Victor Wembanyama.
Pistons PG Cade Cunningham vs. Spurs Projection: 43.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Cunningham averages 40.9 points, rebounds, and assists (PRA), 2.6 below his projection for this game.
- The Spurs have the third-best defensive rating in the league (110) and the fourth-lowest opponent field goal percentage (45%).
- San Antonio also boasts the sixth-best rebounding percentage in the NBA (51.3%).
- Cade struggled mightily in the last matchup vs. San Antonio, shooting 5-for-26 (19.2%) from the field and ending the game with 16-6-10 (32 PRA).
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Spurs C Victor Wembanyama vs. Pistons Projection: 38.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Wemby is averaging 37.4 PRA, but at home, that number increases to 39.2.
- This increase in production is because he averages 1.6 more rebounds, 0.5 more assists, and 1.1 more PPG in San Antonio.
- In his only outing vs. Detroit this season, Wembanyama went for 21-17-4 (42 PRA). He also shot just 6-of-16 (37.5%) in that outing, well below the 50.1% mark he owns on the season.
- Detroit allows the most free-throw attempts per game in the league (27.6). This could lead to some free points for Wembanyama, who is notching a career-high 7.1 average attempts from the charity stripe.
Make Pistons vs. Spurs Picks on PrizePicks
We have another loaded NBA slate this Thursday, with the cream of the crop being the matchup in San Antonio tonight. However, Pistons vs. Spurs picks aren’t the only way hoops fans can get in on the daily NBA action.
You can make your NBA picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 34 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued NBA predictions, picks, and news.
