The set-up: The 34-36 Detroit Pistons are clinging to the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and after Sunday's 112-95 win over the Suns snapped a three-game slide, Detroit is hoping (expecting?) that a visit to the NBA-worst 13-56 Brooklyn Nets will result in a two-game win streak. The Nets have played better since the return of PG Lin (13.7 & 4.9 APG), who seems finally to be over his hamstring problems. However, he tweaked his ankle against Dallas and is listed as doubtful for this contest.

Detroit: The Pistons scored 65 points in the second half of their win over the Suns and that kind of offensive effort was a welcome relief. After all, Detroit had averaged a woeful 84.7 points during it three-game losing streak. The Pistons were an awful 34.9 percent from the floor in an 87-75 home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday, so the effort vs. the Suns was definite plus. Detroit is tied with Miami Heat for the eighth spot, just one game ahead of ninth-place Chicago and a half-game behind seventh-place Milwaukee. It's quite a battle for the final two playoff spots in the East.

Brooklyn: Sure, the Nets have long since worried about the playoffs but the team has been much more competitive lately, splitting six games before back-to-back close home losses to the Celtics and Mavs. Lin being out is not good news (he had averaged 16.5 points in the eight games prior to going down in the first quarter against the Mavericks) but center Brook Lopez, the team's leading scorer at 20.7 PPG, has scored at last 23 points in each of his last five, averaging 24.8 PPG in that span.

The pick: The Pistons have six double digit scorers plus backup PG Ish Smith just misses at 8.3. However, this team averages a modest 101.7 PPG, ranking just 26th out of 30 teams. Detroit has underachieved all season and why lay points on the road with a team just 11-22 SU in its away games? Make the Nets a 10* play.