Detroit Pistons @ Brooklyn Nets NBA Predictions,  Betting Picks and Parlays 

Detroit's Tank-Crushers Head to Brooklyn: Is the Isaac Jones Pick-up a Flex or a Flop?

The Detroit Pistons (6-2) are absolutely smoking right now, on a four-game heater and riding their best start in almost two decades. Seriously, this squad is balling, making all that offseason hype actually look legit. They roll into Barclays Center tonight to face the Brooklyn Nets in their first ever Emirates Cup group stage game, and Vegas isn't even trying to hide it: the Pistons are monster 10-point favorites, rocking a ridiculous -450 moneyline. That's a "lock it up and go home" number if I ever saw one.

For the Nets, this game is a vibe check. They finally, mercifully, grabbed their first W of the season on Wednesday against the Pacers, snapping an embarrassing 1-7 skid. That win was huge, not just for the locker room morale, but because it gives them a tiny bit of momentum heading into the inaugural NBA Cup tournament. They'll need every ounce of it, too, especially since they're without key buckets like Cam Thomas (hamstring) and Drake Powell (ankle). Nic Claxton had an absolute masterclass in their last game, putting up a loaded stat line, but carrying this entire team against a surging Detroit unit? Good luck.

Adding to the Detroit storyline is the curious roster move they made yesterday: claiming former Kings big man Isaac Jones off waivers. Look, Detroit already has Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, so grabbing another center, even one with Jones' intriguing 7-foot-3 defensive wingspan, feels kind of redundant, especially with Tobias Harris (ankle) and Marcus Sasser (hip) sidelined. 

Fans were holding out hope that open spot was for a shooter, maybe a return for Malik Beasley, to help spacing around Cade Cunningham. Instead, we got Jones, a traditional bruiser. Should this be seen as a smart long-term move for growth or just a strange waste of a roster spot? You may not get this move, but hey, when you're up 6-2 and rolling, you might get to try something new.  It should be a demolition fight tonight, unless the Nets get hot and the Pistons mess up.  To make a strong start in the Emirates Cup, Detroit needs to keep their foot on the gas.