The Detroit Pistons have lost 28 games in a row, the NBA record for the most consecutive losses in a single season. After starting the season 2-1, they have gone winless from before Halloween to after Christmas, and it could be until the new calendar year before they are able to get back into the win column.

Can Pistons Knock Off Short-Handed Raptors Tonight

~$41 is the current secondary market get-in price for Raptors @ Pistons on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/1n0MguB1ec

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) December 29, 2023

But the unfortunate and embarrassing streak could be snapped as “early” as December 30th, as the Pistons are scheduled to take on the Toronto Raptors this afternoon.

There are a few factors working against Toronto for this particular contest. The most obvious will be the absence of certain players, as the team will be short-handed in the game due to the trade that was executed on Saturday morning. OG Anunoby was dealt away just hours before game time, as he and Precious Achiuwa will now be playing for the Knicks, with RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickly becoming members of the Raptors.

All players involved in the deal will be unavailable for tonight’s action, leaving Toronto without their 2nd leading scorer and a rotation player.

That isn’t the only good news for the Pistons. As the scheduling Gods would have it, Detroit is the more well-rested team. Friday was an off day for them after their tough overtime defeat on Thursday at the hands of the Celtics, who the Raptors had the honor of playing against just a handful of hours ago.

Multiple Factors Playing Against Toronto

Fun subplot (that I am sure I am the last to point out):

The Pistons will now get a Raptors team that will be missing a few players tonight.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) December 30, 2023

The game between the Raptors and Celtics was an emotional contest that was decided in the final minute, and Toronto will have to turn around and play a game that starts less than 20 hours after their previous one ended. Add in the player availability factor, and it almost seems like the Pistons should be listed as the favorite.

But they’re not. Despite all of the factors working against the Raptors, the Pistons are still legitimate underdogs. They will be playing at home (which hasn’t made much of a difference this year), and will be giving up 4.5 points in the spread.

After losing to the Celtics on Thursday, the Pistons now hold the NBA record for the longest losing streak. The 2014-15 Philadelphia 76ers also lost 28 in a row, but they did it over the span of two seasons. This current Pistons’ streak is the longest in a single season, and will be the longest overall in league history should they lose to the Raptors tonight.

The streak is already the longest in North American sports history, as the longest MLB losing streak in the last 100 years was 23 games. The record in the NHL is 18, and 26 in the NFL (Super Bowl Era).