Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Odds, Picks & Predictions - Game 6
The second round of the NBA playoffs continue with an Eastern Conference battle as the top-seeded Detroit Pistons take on the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night. It’s Game 6 of the best-of-seven series and we have you covered with our Pistons vs. Cavaliers prediction.
In the opening game of the series Tuesday night, Detroit picked up a 111-101 home victory to draw first blood. The Pistons covered the line as a 3.5-point favorite. In addition, the Pistons earned a 107-97 win at home in Game 2 Thursday night. They covered the line as a 3.5-point favorite in that contest. Cleveland got on the board with a 116-109 win in Game 3 at home, covering the line as a 5.5-point favorite. The Cavaliers squared the series with a 112-103 home win in Game 4 Monday night. They covered the line as a 3.5-point favorite. Cleveland earned their first road win of the playoffs with a 117-113 overtime win Wednesday night. The Cavaliers won outright as a 4.5-point underdog.
In the all-time playoff meetings between the teams, the Cavaliers own a 18-8 edge in head-to-head victories. Cleveland has won three of the four previous postseason series between the teams. Let’s break down this Pistons vs. Cavaliers matchup.
Pistons Try to Force Game 7
Detroit controlled the first half of Game 5 but couldn’t sustain that momentum. As a result, they face a similar situation to the first round as they need a road win in Game 6 to return home. In Game 5, Detroit led by as many as five in the first quarter and by two after one. The Pistons led by 15 midway through the second quarter and by eight at the half only to trail by four after three quarters. Detroit regrouped to lead by nine with three minutes to go in regulation only to go scoreless after that to wind up in overtime. The Pistons gave up nine of the first 11 points in the extra session and never recovered. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 37 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in the loss.
In the postseason, the Pistons are 10th in the league in scoring offense as they average 105 points a game. Detroit is 5th in rebounding with an average of 44.3 boards per contest. They are 9th in assists by dishing out 22.3 dimes a night. The Pistons are 4th in the league in scoring defense as they give up an average of 102.3 points per contest. Cade Cunningham leads the way offensively for the Pistons with 30 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game. Tobias Harris contributes 20.2 points plus 7.6 rebounds a night as a secondary scoring option.
Detroit is 7th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 45% from the floor. However, the Pistons are 14th in the league in threes per game as they hit 10.2 triples per contest. They are 6th in three-point percentage as they knock down 35.6% of their attempts from beyond the arc. Detroit is above average at the charity stripe, ranking 6th by shooting 77.1% at the line.
Key Injury Report for Pistons:
- Kevin Huerter (adductor) is questionable.
- Duncan Robinson (back) is questionable.
- Caris LeVert (heel) is questionable.
Cavaliers Shoot to Remain Unbeaten at Home
Cleveland looked dead in the water on multiple occasions but rallied to earn their first road win. The Cavaliers now return home with the series lead trying to close things out here. In Game 5, Cleveland trailed as many as 15 in the first half and by eight at intermission. The Cavaliers led by four after three quarters and needed a 9-0 over the final three minutes of regulation to force overtime. Cleveland opened overtime with a 9-2 burst and held the Pistons off the rest of the way. James Harden finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists to lead the Cavaliers in the win.
The Cavaliers come into this one ranked 4th in the league in scoring offense as they put up an average of 110.5 points per game this postseason. Cleveland is 6th in rebounding as they grab 41.7 boards per contest and stand 12th in assists by handing out 21.9 dimes a contest this postseason. The Cavaliers are 9th in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 109.5 points per game this season. Donovan Mitchell leads the way in the scoring department for Cleveland as he puts up 26.2 points plus 5.3 rebounds a night on the year. James Harden (20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists) and Evan Mobley (16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds) are solid secondary options.
Cleveland is 5th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 46.7% from the floor as a team in the playoffs. The Cavaliers are 4th by knocking down an average of 12.8 three-pointers a night while they are 7th by connecting on 34.1% of their attempts from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Cleveland is below average at the charity stripe as they rank 10th by shooting 76.1% from the line as a team.
Key Injury Report for Cavaliers:
- No Key Injuries
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Detroit had their foot on the throat of the Cavaliers but eased off the pressure. That cost them dearly as they fell in overtime and now need a road win to return home for Game 7. Unlike Orlando in the opening round, the Cavaliers have momentum on their side heading into this contest. Detroit needed an epic meltdown by the Magic in Game 6 of the first round to get to a Game 7. This Cleveland team is a veteran squad with high expectations. In addition, they are unbeaten at home in the playoffs. Detroit has dropped 12 of their last 13 trips to Cleveland. Therefore, look for the Cavaliers to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals with a win here.
Our Prediction: Cavaliers -3.5 (FanDuel, -110)
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