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We're here to bring you our predictions and picks for this Group Stage action of the NBA's In-Season Tournament. Central Division rivals will square off as the Detroit Pistons (2-10) take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-6). Check out our NBA odds series for our Pistons-Cavaliers prediction and pick.
The Detroit Pistons are last in their division and have now lost their last nine consecutive games. Four of those losses have come by double-digits and they've dropped a few in the finals seconds of regulation. They'll be coming into this contest with yet another lengthy injury report and will try to cover as decent underdogs on the road.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are right in the middle of the Central Division and they'd like to climb to .500 with a win here tonight. They've alternated wins and loss over their last eight games and posted a 4-4 record while winning their last game on the road against the Trail Blazers. They'll hope for a tournament win as favorites over the Pistons.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA In-Season Tournament Odds: Pistons-Cavaliers Odds
Detroit Pistons: +9 (-110)
Cleveland Cavaliers: -9 (-110)
Over: 220.5 (-110)
Under: 220.5 (-110)
How to Watch Pistons vs. Cavaliers
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT
TV: Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Ohio, NBA League Pass
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
The Pistons are once again in the midst of a rough start to their season and the piling injuries haven't helped much in this team gaining the chemistry it needs to produce wins. Bojan Bogdanovic, Jalen Duren, Joe Harris, Isaiah Livers, and Monte Morris will all sit this game out due to injury. Marvin Bagley is questionable to play and it's clear that their star Cade Cunningham is struggling to keep this team afloat all on his own. The loss of Duren will be particularly bad for them as they'll have a mismatch down low against the Cavaliers' big men.
To cover this spread, the Pistons will have to take care of the ball and find ways to spread it around. Cleveland is too good of a team defensively to get beaten by one-on-one basketball, so the Pistons will have to spread the floor and get to the free-throw line for easy points. Cade Cunningham has a great individual matchup on the offensive end, so look for him to get his buckets while getting his teammates involved as well. If they can hit their threes with the defense collapsing on Cunningham, they could stand a chance to win this game.
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
The Cavaliers will be dealing with some crucial injuries of their own as both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell remain as ‘questionable' ahead of this game. If both were to sit out, Craig Porter and Caris LeVert would have to take over ball-handling duties for the Cavaliers. Ty Jerome and Ricky Rubio are also hit with the injury bug, so the Cavaliers will be playing with a rather diminished backcourt against the Pistons. Still, if just one of their starters can suit up for this one, it'll give them a massive boost on offense and their assist totals as a team.
To win this game and cover, the Cavaliers will have to lean on their defense and exploit the mismatch down low against the Pistons. The Cavaliers have enough length in their wings to contain the offensive production of Cade Cunningham, so they should double him and force other Pistons coming off the bench to score the ball. If they can force the Pistons into a shooting slump for just a few minutes, it should give the Cavaliers enough time to pull away in this game and keep the lead on their home court.
Final Pistons-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick
This matchup is very intriguing because both teams are coming in with significant injury reports to different clusters of positions. The Cavaliers will have a number of points guards and ball-handlers banged up, while the Pistons are missing their key big man in Jalen Duren. It'll be interesting to see how the game plans for both teams change as they try to exploit the mismatches.
For our Pistons Cavaliers prediction, we'll go with the Cleveland Cavaliers to get the win. The Pistons are on a tough losing streak and they haven't shown much to confidently back them with money. With both starting lineups taking a hit, expect defense to take a back seat in this one as both teams try to score at will.
Final Pistons-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers (-400); OVER 220.5 (-110)
