Despite a wealth of talent in each of their camps, both Cleveland and Detroit needed seven games to book their spot in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The Cavaliers traded blows with the Toronto Raptors before finally hitting their groove to win 114-102 in Game 7, while the Pistons became only the 15th team in NBA history to come back from 3-1 down in a playoff series.
The fact that Detroit needed seven games to see off an underperforming and out-of-sorts Orlando Magic is not a great sign ahead of a series with the more settled Cavs, however, and Cleveland looks overpriced for Tuesday’s clash at the Little Caesars Arena.
Cavaliers vs. Pistons betting picks and predictions
Cleveland Cavaliers to win @ +125
This should be a classic attack-versus-defense showdown. The Pistons are built on solid foundations, while the Cavs look for Donovan Mitchell and James Harden to outscore their opponents. Both are suitable strategies, but the latter should prove to be a bit more effective in Game 1.
The Cavs failed to win a game on the road in the first round. However, Toronto is a notoriously hard place to go and they should fare better at the Little Caesars Arena, where the Pistons lost Game 1 against a poor Magic side in the last round.
Detroit did make the adjustments to turn that series around, but the way they struggled early on should give Cleveland hope that they can make a fast start.
The Cavs also prevailed when these sides last met in March and Kenny Atkinson’s fast-paced style should unsettle their youthful hosts.
Cade Cunningham Under 28.5 points @ -110
It is fair to say that Detroit would not be in the second round if it were not for Cade Cunningham. Only Oklahoma superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33.8) averaged more points per game than his 32.4 in round one, but that output is likely to lessen against Cleveland.
Cunningham will be feeling the effects of that seven-game series, so fatigue comes into play, while his regular-season numbers against the Cavs do little to suggest he can cover a 28.5-point line.
The Pistons star put up 12, 27, 25 and 10 points in his four regular-season clashes with Cleveland and Dean Wade’s ability to force him into a fearsome interior defense of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen should keep Cunningham’s scoring at a minimum.
Dean Wade Over 4.5 points @ -115
Wade will not only play an important role on defense, but he could sneak in a few other points at the other end, too.
Harden, Mitchell and Mobley will be targeted by Detroit’s best defenders and that could open up space for the Cleveland forward to continue his trend of scoring a handful of important points in the playoffs.
Wade registered at least five points in six of the seven round-one games against Toronto and each of the last five. He also scored five points in his one appearance against the Pistons during the regular season and this looks like a generous line.
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Cavaliers vs. Pistons Game 1 odds
Cavaliers | +125 |
Pistons | -150 |
Spread | DET Pistons +3.0 |
Total Points | O/U 216.0 |
Cavaliers vs. Pistons player props
Player Points
Cade Cunningham (DET Pistons) | O/U 28.5 |
Donovan Mitchell (CLE Cavaliers) | O/U 25.5 |
James Harden (CLE Cavaliers) | O/U 19.5 |
Tobias Harris (DET Pistons) | O/U 17.5 |
Evan Mobley (CLE Cavaliers) | O/U 15.5 |
Jarrett Allen (CLE Cavaliers) | O/U 12.5 |
Cavaliers vs. Pistons Team News
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland has the fitness advantage as their injury report is clean.
Detroit Pistons
Detroit aren’t much worse off, however, with only role player Kevin Huerter listed as questionable.
Read the latest NBA news on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
