Motor City Meltdown: When Will Detroit Pistons Win Again?

The 2-29 Detroit Pistons' ongoing and record-breaking 28-game losing streak has captivated the basketball world, with many fans and purists glued to their televisions wondering when the elusive victory to end it all will finally arrive. 

the pistons are like watching a 16th seed try to beat a 1 seed but every single night over and over again. elite content.

— alex (@steven_lebron) December 29, 2023

Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma tweeted it best on Thursday night by suggesting no team wants the distinction of being the one to end the streak and reignite even the smallest ounce of hope back in the Pistons franchise. They could very well face top-tier efforts from all opposing sides from here on out, as there would undoubtedly be a degree of embarrassment stemming from falling to the lowly Pistons.

Detroit's 28 consecutive losses is the longest skid for a single season in NBA history, and is also tied for the all-time record with the 2014-15, 2015-16 Philadelphia 76ers who achieved the mark across two seasons. The Pistons' next defeat will put them in a league of their own, and could come as soon as Saturday night when the Toronto Raptors visit Little Caesars Arena. 

Oddsmakers would like to believe Detroit will put a halt to its losing ways against the struggling Raptors before setting a new benchmark for futility. 

Pistons' Next Regular Season Win Odds

Will Raptors end the streak?

There's a strong degree of paranoia settling in with Raptors faithful ahead of this game, which is more so a result of how disappointing the season has gone than anything else. 

A 12-18 record has Toronto slotted in the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference, and a recent 30-point blowout win over the Wizards merely ended a three-game losing streak which included a squandered 17-point lead against the Utah Jazz. 

There's optimism that appointing potential All-Star Scottie Barnes as the starting point guard and moving Dennis Schroder to the second unit will spark a team in desperate need of consistency and good fortune, but beating the putrid Wizards isn't enough of an indicator that it will pan out. 

The Raptors are one of Detroit's 29 losses to date, having won their initial meeting on November 19 in a 142-113 blowout in which Toronto never trailed en route to a franchise record 44 assists. Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 23 points, while Gary Trent Jr. (now inserted into the starting lineup) came off the bench to contribute 18 points of his own. 

What's going against Toronto in this rematch is that they'll be playing on the second night of a back-to-back slate, having battled the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Friday before making the overnight trip to the Motor City for a quick turnaround. The Raptors are 2-3 with no rest for the season, while the Pistons will have Friday off after losing a heartbreaker to Boston in overtime on Thursday.

Toronto has won five-straight games against the Pistons, though, with the last two being in commanding fashion. Even though the Raptors are the sexy pick to be the one in 1-28, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the Pistons, and that 29-point loss in November is still fresh enough and difficult to ignore.

If Not The Raptors, Then Who?

Losing to Toronto would place the NBA record firmly in the hands of the 2023-24 Pistons, so from that point onward, every loss would merely stack the deck and create breathing room should future bottom feeders find themselves in a similar situation. 

Detroit's two victories this year came against the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls, and neither team appears on the schedule until January 24 at the earliest. 

Based on the current standings alone, a clash with the San Antonio Spurs on January 10 should be circled on both team's calendars, regardless if Detroit's streak still lives or not. Victor Wembanyama and company only have three more wins in total than the Pistons, and perhaps should be thankful Detroit is as awful as it is because without the streak, arguably more eyes would be zoned in on the Spurs and their lack of immediate success after drafting the 7-foot-4 Frenchman. 

The Jazz have the best odds after the Raptors at +475, yet they just beat the Pistons on December 21 without the services of four of their seven leading scorers Lauri Markkanen, rookie Keyonte George, Jordan Clarkson, and Talen Horton-Tucker. 

The Celtics sit atop the Association at 24-6, but they were just pushed to the limit by the Pistons (who led by as many as 21 points) in a game that ended up needing an extra five minutes before Boston pulled away in the end. So even though the likes of the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and reigning champion Denver Nuggets will be heavily favored against Detroit, the beautiful thing about professional sports is that any team can beat any other team on any given night. You just never know, and the Celtics nearly validated that on Thursday. 

The Detroit Pistons blew a 19 point lead & fall to the Celtics. They’ve now lost 28 straight games 😢 pic.twitter.com/bgR5IBunnm

— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) December 29, 2023

The Pistons are already on the wrong side of history no matter how this streak continues to shape up. They're a laughing stock to some and an endearing underdog to others. The streak will end at some point, but pinpointing an exact date is an arduous task. A lone win won't cure what ails a team that requires wholesale change, but it will at least stop the bleeding momentarily, and that's when bettors need to be on the ball to cash in on a momentous event.