The Houston Rockets aim to bounce back from a recent loss when they visit the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. Detroit, atop the Central Division, hosts the matchup at Little Caesars Arena. Betting odds favor the Pistons by 3.5 points with an over/under of 217.5.
The Houston Rockets (26-16), sitting second in the Southwest Division, travel to face the Detroit Pistons (32-10), who lead the Central Division, in NBA action on January 23, 2026. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Rockets are coming off a 128-122 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, while the Pistons secured a 112-104 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.
Houston has struggled on the road with an 11-13 record this season. Detroit, meanwhile, boasts a strong 17-4 mark at home and is 10-4 against Western Conference opponents. Injury updates include Detroit's Cade Cunningham, listed as probable with a hip issue after being upgraded from questionable. For the Rockets, Steven Adams, Tari Eason, and Dorian Finney-Smith are all sidelined with ankle injuries.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Pistons are 3.5-point favorites, with the moneyline at Detroit -175 and Houston +146. The over/under total is set at 217.5 points. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates games 10,000 times, predicts the total will go over, projecting a combined 220 points in 51% of simulations. It has gone over in two of the past six head-to-head matchups.
The model forecasts Houston's Kevin Durant to average 22.2 points, with six Rockets players scoring 10.2 or more. For Detroit, Cunningham is expected to tally 23.1 points if he plays, alongside four Pistons averaging 10.7 points or higher. The model enters the week on a 35-15 roll for top-rated spread picks and has generated an against-the-spread selection hitting in over 70% of simulations.
