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The Detroit Pistons travel to the streets of Denver, where they take on the Nuggets at 9 p.m. EST at Ball Arena.

The Pistons enter tonight’s matchup coming off seven straight losses, despite playing in close contests throughout that span. The Pistons are an awful team, which should be to no one’s surprise. However, they can get it going on offense with their scrappy, nothing to lose play style. Their defense has been a huge issue all season as they allow 118 points per game, ranking second to worst in the league. 

The Nuggets have stumbled to get to their current record of 10-6. There is no consistency with this team. Sometimes they will play a full four quarters and get the win, but they also suffer from extremely bad losses. With Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray both unlikely to suit up tonight, the Nuggets will have to bring it to get the Pistons off their guard.

How The Pistons Can Win:

The Pistons can win if they slow their game down and attack the hoop methodically. Like the Nuggets, the Pistons will be without some key pieces including Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart, and Saddiq Bey. They need guards Killian Hayes and Jayden Ivey to step up and lead this team to a victory. They also need to key in on their defense, especially for rebounding despite the Nuggets performing better on defense with Jokić out of the lineup.

How The Nuggets Can Win:
The Nuggets can win if their score makes up for not having Jokic in the lineup. They have played solid defense in his absence, allowing 106 and 98 points respectively to the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. If they can keep that defense up, then I think the Nuggets are in a prime position to knock out the Pistons. 

Prediction: Detroit Pistons 112, Denver Nuggets 105

Both teams have huge key injuries to star players, which is why this game is a fresh slate for both of these teams. The Pistons have been sliding, and I think that ends tonight with a win on the road in Denver.