The Detroit Pistons (38-13) sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, but are set to visit a Charlotte Hornets team (25-28) that’s arguably the hottest team in basketball right now on Monday. The home team is chasing its tenth consecutive win, and tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
Below, we'll preview the game and break down two of the top Pistons vs. Hornets NBA Picks on PrizePicks for today, including for G Cade Cunningham and G-F Kon Knueppel.
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Pistons vs. Hornets Prediction, Spread
Detroit finished sixth in the Eastern Conference in 2024-25, but only the Oklahoma City Thunder (40-13) have won more games so far this season. Defense has been a major contributor to the team’s improvement.
The Pistons emphasize physicality on the defensive side of the ball, and the numbers back this up. They commit an NBA-high 22.5 personal fouls per game and give up a league-high 28.5 free-throw attempts per game, but points aren’t easy to come by.
Only the Boston Celtics and Thunder give up fewer points per game (109.7) than Detroit. Only OKC holds opposing teams to a lower field goal percentage (44.2%).
The Pistons control the pace of games like few other teams can, and that’s made evident by the 84.7 shots per game they fork up to opposing teams. No other franchise is under that mark. Whether Charlotte can bounce back after being completely dominated by Detroit in December remains to be seen.
The Hornets are one of the league’s best rebounding teams this year. They rank fifth in rebounds per game (46.1), and opposing teams average a league-low 39.4 rebounds against them.
However, the Pistons dominated the boards the first time these two teams met in 2025-26, out-rebounding the Hornets 61-43 en route to a 112-86 victory.
The Hornets’ offense is flowing now that G LaMelo Ball is healthy alongside G-F Kon Knueppel and F Brandon Miller. However, their bigs need to make a team effort when boxing out against a squad that’s habitually bullied opposing frontcourts this year to win.
Pistons vs. Hornets Over/Under, Spread
The Pistons are 2.5-point favorites, returning a 1.61x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Hornets will return a 2.22x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
- Spread: Pistons -2.5
- Over/Under: 223.5
- Gamer Winner Payout: Pistons 1.61x | Hornets 2.22x
(Team picks data is live as of publishing and is subject to change.)
Pistons vs. Hornets Injury Report
Let’s dive into the full Pistons vs. Hornets injury report for Monday, via NBA.com.
Pistons Injury Report
- C Tolu Smith (calf): OUT
- F Ron Holland II (personal reasons): OUT
- C Jalen Duren (knee):Probable
Hornets Injury Report
- G Coby White (calf) – OUT
- G Malaki Branham (not with team) – OUT
Pistons vs. Hornets Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to know to help you make your Pistons vs. Hornets prediction against the spread today on PrizePicks Team Picks.
- The Hornets are 10-7 against the spread as home underdogs.
- Charlotte has gone 14-6 against the spread since January 2.
- The Pistons are 6-12 against the spread as road favorites.
- The home team gives up an NBA-low 20.3 free-throw attempts per game.
- The Hornets rank third in triples made per game (15.3).
Pistons vs. Hornets Picks, Stats for PrizePicks Today
Here are two of the top Pistons vs. Hornets picks on PrizePicks Player Picks for today. Player projections via the PrizePicks real money NBA game.
Pistons PG Cade Cunningham vs. Hornets Projection: 35.5 Pts+Asts
- Cunningham has averaged 32.0 Pts+Asts over his previous 15 games.
- The Oklahoma State product is shooting 29.6% from deep in the new year.
- The Hornets have given up just 105.9 points per game since January 1.
- Opposing teams are averaging 24.9 assists per game against Charlotte in 2026.
Hornets G-F Kon Knueppel vs. Pistons: 21.5 Pts+Asts
- Knueppel averages 18.7 Pts+Asts at home in 2026.
- The Duke product has fallen short of 21.5 Pts+Asts in four straight home games.
- Detroit’s allowing a league-low 104.9 points per game in 2026.
- The Pistons are the only team giving up fewer than 37.0 made field goals per game in 2026.
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Make Pistons vs. Hornets NBA Picks on PrizePicks
The best team in the Eastern Conference will take on the league's hottest team at the Spectrum Center on Monday. The Detroit Pistons beat up on the Charlotte Hornets less than two months ago, but the result could be different this time around. PG Cade Cunningham and G-F Kon Knueppel stand out as players to watch ahead of tip-off.
You can make Pistons vs. Hornets 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.
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