Washington Wizards vs Detroit Pistons Prediction and Preview for Oct. 16 | 2025 NBA Preseason

The Detroit Pistons are set to finish their preseason on Thursday, when they host the Washington Wizards at the Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons are looking to end the preseason with some momentum, while the Wizards are trying to build on their first win of the preseason.

Detroit has a 1-2 record, beating the Memphis Grizzlies in their first preseason game. However, they ended losing back-to-back games against the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. Cade Cunningham was given a rest on Tuesday's loss to Cleveland.

Meanwhile, Washington is playing their third preseason game and is coming off a win over the New York Knicks. They lost their fisrt preseason matchup against the Toronto Raptors. They are expected to get back veterans Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum, and second-year big man Alex Sarr, who all sat Tuesday's game in New York.

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Washington Wizards vs. Detroit Pistons Preview, Prediction and Game Details

The 2025 NBA preseason game between the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons is scheduled for Thursday at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.

The game will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and the Monumental Sports Network in the DMV area . It's also available on Amazon Prime Video, NBA League Pass and fuboTV, which are all paid subscription platforms.

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Washington Wizards vs. Detroit Pistons Preview

The Wizards had a busy offseason, trading away Jordan Poole to the New Orleans Pelicans. They have a combination of good veterans in Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum, and young prospects, such as Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Cam Whitmore.

On the other hand, the Pistons are still looking for a better second scoring option. Jaden Ivey has a lot to prove, while Duncan Robinson was acquired to replace Malik Beasley's production from beyond the arc. Cade Cunningham has already taken the leap to All-Star, while Ausar Thompson is expected to start catching up wit his twin brother, Amen Thompson.

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Washington Wizards vs. Detroit Pistons Predicted Starting Lineups

Wizards

G - Bub Carrington | G - CJ McCollum | F - Khris Middleton | F - Kyshawn George | C - Alex Sarr

Pistons

G - Cade Cunningham | G - Duncan Robinson | F - Ausar Thompson | F - Tobias Harris | C - Jalen Duren

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Washington Wizards vs. Detroit Pistons Prediction

Since it's the final preseason game for the Pistons, coach J.B. Bickerstaff is likely playing all of his starters increased minutes. The Wizards might not do the same because they still have one more game after this one. The prediction is a win for the visiting Pistons team.