The Detroit Pistons have the second-best record in the NBA and have been the best team in the Eastern Conference this season through 50 games.
Yet, the Pistons have been surpassed in the betting odds to win the NBA Finals by three East teams.
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ trade for James Harden on Tuesday has changed the landscape of the NBA prediction markets, combined with the Pistons’ lone trade-deadline acquisition: Kevin Huerter.
The Cavs (31-21, fourth in the East) surged to become East favorites, moving from 22-1 to 11-1 on DraftKings Sportsbook to win the Finals, after the Harden trade.
The Cavs are seven games behind the Pistons (37-13), but have played better of late, even without Darius Garland (toe), who was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers for Harden.
Last season, the Cavs went 64-18 to grab the 1-seed, but were upset in the conference semifinals by the plucky 4-seed Indiana Pacers in five games.
It seems plenty of bettors think the Pistons might follow the same fate.
The Pistons also trail the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics in the DraftKings’ title odds. The Pistons crushed the Knicks by 31 points on Jan. 5 in Detroit, and the teams meet again Friday night in Detroit.
Pistons NBA Finals odds
DraftKings Sportsbook has the best price for Pistons NBA Finals odds at +1600. (A $10 bet on the Pistons would return a $160 profit if it won.) That places the Pistons a surprising fourth among East teams behind the Cavs, Knicks and Celtics.
There are only eight teams with better than 25-1 odds to win the 2026 NBA Finals, according to the DraftKings odds as of Thursday night.
The Pistons’ odds to win the East are +370 on DraftKings, compared to the Cavs at +300, the Knicks at +320 and just ahead of the Celtics at +380. The Philadelphia 76ers are fifth all the way down at +1100.
Both FanDuel and BetMGM have the Pistons’ odds to win the Finals at +1400. That’s tied with the Cavs and Celtics on FD and ahead of the Knicks (+1600). BetMGM has the Cavs just ahead at +1300.
All three books list the Thunder as the clear favorite, with the Nuggets in a clear tier of their own in second.
The Pistons have not won a playoff series since 2008. They last made the Finals in 2005 and last won it all in 2004, their third championship.
NBA standings Eastern Conference teams
Here are the standings through Thursday’s early slate of games, with the top-six teams guaranteed a playoff spot. *Teams seeded Nos. 7-10 enter the play-in tournament.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons disrespected in NBA Finals odds after Cavs’ James Harden trade
Reporting by Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
