Result: Los Angeles Lakers 121-116 Detroit Pistons
The Lakers won in Detroit without Luka Doncic, on the back of a 38-14 first quarter. Doncic, questionable on our page, was ruled out on game day with lower-back tightness. Austin Reaves took over with 43 points on 14-of-27 shooting. Ziaire Williams and Collin Sexton added 17 each off the bench. Detroit won each of the last three quarters but could not close the gap. Daniss Jenkins scored 31 off the bench and made eight threes. Kevin Huerter had 24, and Cade Cunningham 14 on 6-of-15. Isaiah Joe and Jalen Duren were out, as our team news said.
Wrong on the winner, no bet on the spread. We picked the Pistons and made no spread call. With Doncic out, the DraftKings number ESPN showed had moved to Detroit -8.5, from -4.5 at Canadian books when our page went up. Our case was the league’s best defence against Doncic’s scoring. He sat, and that defence still gave up 38 in the first quarter and 43 to Reaves. The 237 points went well over a 216.5 total. The Doncic prop at 33.5 had no result, since he did not play.
The preview as published before the game follows.
Luka Doncic scored 53 against Portland on Friday, after 41, 37, 45, 42 and 40. On Sunday he meets Detroit, the best defence in the league by rating and by opponent shooting.
The Lakers are 7-2 going into Friday’s game with Portland, and the Pistons are 6-2 with three days off. Cade Cunningham leads Detroit at 24.0 points and 7.6 assists.
Every pick is graded on its own page the morning after the game, wins and losses alike.
How to watch Lakers vs Pistons in Canada
NBA TV Canada is the Canadian home of this game. Our how to watch the NBA in Canada page covers streaming too.
Lakers vs Pistons odds
| Sportsbook | Lakers | Pistons | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bet99 | +155 | −180 | Pistons −4.5 (−110) | O/U 222 (−110 / −110) |
| Mise-o-jeu provincial | +159 | −182 | Pistons −4.5 (−110) | O/U 221.5 (−111 / −102) |
| PlayAlberta provincial | +147 | −175 | – | O/U 222 (−108 / −108) |
| TonyBet | +150 | −182 | Pistons −5.5 (+103) | O/U 221.5 (−115 / −106) |
| theScore Bet | +155 | −185 | Pistons −4.5 (−110) | O/U 222.5 (−105 / −115) |
Prices from 5 Canadian sportsbooks, captured at 3:02 a.m. ET on Sunday 8 November. They are stored prices, not live ones, and lines move with every injury update, so check before you bet. Availability varies by province: Mise-o-jeu and PlayAlberta are provincial platforms rather than open-market books, and the private sportsbooks operate where they hold a licence. 19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC).
The spread and total in context
| Each game against the spread | Each game against the total | |
|---|---|---|
| Lakers | 8 of 10: lost by 4 or fewer, or won | 7 of 10 over 222 |
| Pistons | 6 of 8: won by 5 or more | 2 of 8 over 222 |
One dot per game this season, from final scores; hover or tap a dot for the result. These are tonight’s numbers applied to past results, not the lines those games were played at.
Home, road and rest
| At home | On the road | Second of a back-to-back | With a day or more off | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakers | 5-1 (+9.3) | 3-1 (+5.2) | 2-0 (+18.5) | 5-2 (+2.6) |
| Pistons | 2-1 (+3.3) | 4-1 (+13.0) | 1-0 (+8.0) | 4-2 (+9.8) |
Record and average winning margin in brackets, this season.
Projected starting fives
| Starter | PTS | REB | AST | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matisse Thybulle | 7.4 | 1.7 | 1.2 | Available |
| Luka Doncic | 40.1 | 7.8 | 7.7 | Questionable |
| Austin Reaves | 23.5 | 3.2 | 4.7 | Available |
| Walker Kessler | 14.6 | 10.4 | 1.2 | Available |
| Jake LaRavia | 6.4 | 3.9 | 1.7 | Available |
| Starter | PTS | REB | AST | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duncan Robinson | 19.0 | 1.9 | 2.2 | Available |
| John Collins | 9.4 | 5.9 | 0.5 | Available |
| Paul Reed | 12.8 | 6.8 | 2.4 | Available |
| Cade Cunningham | 24.0 | 5.6 | 7.6 | Available |
| Ausar Thompson | 9.9 | 8.6 | 4.7 | Available |
The five who started each club’s last game, with season averages. Starting lineups are not announced until shortly before tip-off, so treat these as likely, not confirmed.
Team news
| Club | Player | Status | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakers | Luka Doncic | Questionable, back | Questionable on the league’s 5:45 a.m. ET report |
| Detroit | Isaiah Joe | Out, hip | Out for this game (7 Nov) |
| Detroit | Jalen Duren | Out, hamstring | Re-evaluation in two weeks, reported on 25 Oct |
| Detroit | Elijah Harkless | Questionable, not injury related | Questionable on the league’s 5:45 a.m. ET report |
| Detroit | Isaac Jones | Questionable, not injury related | Questionable on the league’s 5:45 a.m. ET report |
Jalen Duren is out with a right hamstring strain. He was due to be re-evaluated two weeks after 25 October. Isaiah Joe (hip) missed Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia. The league’s report lists Doncic as questionable with low back tightness.
Our NBA injury report lists every other club’s absences.
How the Lakers and Pistons compare this season
League rank out of 30 on this season’s box scores (10 and 8 games). Ratings are points per 100 possessions, estimated from the box score.
Detroit allows 100.9 points per 100 possessions, the fewest in the league, and holds opponents to an effective 48.7 per cent. The Lakers shoot an effective 60.2 per cent, the best mark in the NBA.
Something has to give between the best shooting team and the best defence. The Lakers’ weak spot is the ball: they turn it over on 15.8 per cent of possessions, 27th in the league.
Results so far
One bar per game this season, oldest first. Bars above the line are wins and below are defeats, sized by the margin on the scale at the left. “v” is a home game and “@” an away game. Hover or tap a bar for the score.
Doncic v Cunningham
| 40.1 | Points | 24.0 | ||
| 7.8 | Rebounds | 5.6 | ||
| 7.7 | Assists | 7.6 | ||
| 4.9 | Turnovers | 3.9 | ||
| 1.7 | Steals | 1.6 | ||
| 40.8 | Usage % | 31.6 | ||
| 67.9 | True shooting % | 58.5 | ||
| 41.9 | Three-point % | 32.7 | ||
| 5.8 | Threes made | 2.2 | ||
| 11.3 | Free throws tried | 6.2 | ||
| +140 | Plus-minus, season | +44 |
Season figures from this season’s box scores. Usage is the share of team possessions a player uses while on court, estimated from the box score. The brighter bar is the better number.
Doncic uses 40.0 per cent of the Lakers’ possessions and still has a 68.5 true shooting mark. Cunningham averages 7.6 assists to Doncic’s 8.0 on far fewer possessions, but he has made 32.7 per cent of his threes to Doncic’s 43.1.
Players to watch
Austin Reaves has been between 16 and 27 in his last five. Duncan Robinson has scored more in each of his last four, from 12 up to 27, and Cunningham had 33 in one of his.
Lakers vs Pistons player props
Bet99 over −115 · Bet99 under −115 · TonyBet over −122 · TonyBet under −109
Across his last 9 games he averages 40.1 points, clearing 33.5 in 7 of them.
| Player | Market | Line | Best over | Best under | Over in his games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Doncic Lakers | Points | 33.5 | −115 Bet99 | −109 TonyBet | 7/9 |
| Luka Doncic Lakers | Rebounds | 7.5 | +105 Bet99 | −128 TonyBet | 4/9 |
| Austin Reaves Lakers | Points | 23.5 | −110 Bet99 | −116 TonyBet | 5/10 |
| Austin Reaves Lakers | Rebounds | 3.5 | −135 Bet99 | +120 TonyBet | 4/10 |
| Cade Cunningham Pistons | Points | 26.5 | −110 Bet99 | −120 Bet99 | 2/8 |
| Cade Cunningham Pistons | Rebounds | 5.5 | +102 TonyBet | −135 Bet99 | 3/8 |
| Duncan Robinson Pistons | Points | 14.5 | −118 TonyBet | −112 TonyBet | 6/8 |
| Duncan Robinson Pistons | Rebounds | 2.5 | +105 Bet99 | −135 Bet99 | 2/8 |
The main line at Canadian books and the best over and under price on it. The last column counts this season’s games in which he went over that line. Prices are stored captures and move before tip-off.
Recent Lakers vs Pistons meetings
| Date | Result | Winner | Top scorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Mar 2026 | Lakers 110, Pistons 113 | Pistons by 3 | Luka Doncic 32 (Lakers) · Daniss Jenkins 30 (Pistons) |
| 30 Dec 2025 | Pistons 128, Lakers 106 | Pistons by 22 | Luka Doncic 30 (Lakers) · Cade Cunningham 27 (Pistons) |
Detroit won both meetings last season, by 22 in Los Angeles in December and by three at home in March, when Daniss Jenkins scored 30.
How the last meeting unfolded
The March game in Detroit swung both ways. The Pistons led by as many as 16 and the Lakers by seven before Detroit held on, 113-110.
Where they shoot from
| Zone | Share | FG% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| At the rim | 27% of shots | 72.6% | |
| Paint | 19% of shots | 52.6% | |
| Mid-range | 8% of shots | 43.5% | |
| Corner three | 9% of shots | 39.7% | |
| Above-break three | 35% of shots | 35.6% |
| Zone | Share | FG% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| At the rim | 25% of shots | 67.6% | |
| Paint | 19% of shots | 43.9% | |
| Mid-range | 9% of shots | 41.3% | |
| Corner three | 11% of shots | 27.4% | |
| Above-break three | 30% of shots | 41.1% |
Every shot this season, by zone. Zones are calculated from the play-by-play coordinates, not official NBA shot zones.
The Lakers convert 75.4 per cent of their attempts at the rim, and 35 per cent of their shots come from above the break. Detroit makes 41.1 per cent of its above-the-break threes but only 27.4 per cent from the corners.
Score prediction
Pistons 115-112 Lakers. Detroit has had three days off. The Lakers play Portland on Friday and Atlanta on Monday, with the trip east in between. We expect a Pistons win by about three.
Lakers vs Pistons prediction
Detroit is 2-1 at home and 4-1 on the road, with a +9.3 net rating, fifth in the league.
The case for the Lakers is simple: Doncic is averaging 40.1 points, nobody has held him under 37 in his last five, and an offence ranked second in the league can beat a good defence on a night when he gets to the line ten times.
Our pick: the Pistons to win.
What would change it: if Duren were back, we would be more confident in Detroit. A Cunningham absence would flip the pick to the Lakers.
See the NBA power rankings for the weekly order of all 30 clubs, and the NBA games tonight board for Sunday’s other NBA games.
Frequently asked questions
Tip-off is 6:00pm ET on Sunday 8 November 2026 at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
It is on NBA TV Canada.
He is listed out with a right hamstring strain. He was due to be re-evaluated two weeks after 25 October, so check the league’s report on Sunday.
40.1 points, the most in the league, with 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists.
Pistons 115-112. We back Detroit to win at home.
19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC). Picks are opinion, not advice, and odds change constantly. Availability varies by province. Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 for Ontario residents; see your province’s helpline for resources elsewhere.