The Lions’ playoff game just caused a big change in the Pistons’ Saturday game

On January 19, 2025By Littum

The Lions officially host the Commanders Saturday night in the divisional round of the playoffs, and while the entire city is seemingly focused on winning a Super Bowl, the timing of the game caused a change in the Pistons’ scheduled contest.

To accommodate the NFL, the NBA announced that the Pistons vs. The Suns would be moved up an hour from 5:00 PM ET to 4:00 PM ET to give the game time to finish before the Lions play.

It’s not unusual for sports leagues to make these types of decisions, though it’s still an indication of how much more the city cares about this particular Lions’ matchup than the Pistons’.

The Pistons’ home game against the Suns on Saturday has been moved up an hour from 17.00 to 4pm to accommodate Lions vs Commanders at 8.

— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) 13 January 2025

After finishing 2023 with the worst record in the NBA at 14-68, the Pistons have made a big turnaround this year. They are currently the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 21-19 mark, representing a massive improvement led by rising star Cade Cunningham.

There’s plenty of reason for Detroit to pay attention to this basketball team, but there’s obviously even more incentive to focus on the Lions. They have the best odds to win the Super Bowl at +290 at FanDuel Sportsbook ($10 on a $29 win) for the first time in franchise history, so it’s understandable that the city thinks the divisional round is a bit more important than a regular NBA game.

Ticket prices are reaching absurd heights as the Lions welcome star rookie QB Jayden Daniels and his upstart Commanders team to town. Detroit is the biggest favorite of the week with 9.5 points and -500 odds on the moneyline, suggesting the Lions shouldn’t have much trouble.

However, this is still the playoffs and it’s still the Lions. Detroit is well-positioned to make history, but fans would be forgiven for feeling a little trepidation entering the most important games of the season. Anything less than a Super Bowl appearance would be a disappointment, ensuring that the crowd at Ford Field will be raucous and ready to strike fear into Washington’s collective heart.

Fortunately for these truly devoted fans, they can watch both the Pistons and the Lions thanks to this news.

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Odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.