After they’d had a bunch of games earlier on this month, in these past weeks, the Cleveland Cavaliers have had more time for rest of late.
Next up for the Cavs, after their big-time win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday for their third straight W, the Cavaliers will face the Detroit Pistons in Little Caesar’s Arena. This will be the second meeting between the two Central Division rivals of the season, with Cleveland winning convincingly back in mid-November.
When it comes to the general outlook, the Cavaliers are going up against a Detroit team in the early stages of a full-rebuild, and one that’s a mostly young group. They check in second-last in the Eastern Conference, and it’s understandable that Jerami Grant, given their situation, has been a key player mentioned in trade rumors.
On the plus side for the Pistons, though, their #1 overall pick from the 2021 NBA Draft, Cade Cunningham, is really starting to come on for them, and they do have some nice youngsters to get considerable playing time in years ahead.
The Cavs, meanwhile, will look to keep their streak going, and should be able to pick up their fourth consecutive win here, in the first leg of their back-to-back to come, with Monday’s matchup at home against the New Orleans Pelicans.
So, what do you have to know about this Cavs-Pistons matchup, then, and how to bet?
Cleveland, as we touched on, should be in good shape to control this one for extended stretches. The Cavs, again, are fresh off against a signature win over Milwaukee, one of the league’s top teams, and Cleveland has won nine of their last 12.
The Pistons do again have some promising young guys, such as Cunningham, who could very well be competition for Evan Mobley for Rookie of the Year it seems now, and guys such as Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes are solid young guys to build with.
That said, the Pistons are in the beginning of a full-rebuild, and things won’t be easy for Cunningham with Cleveland’s length and bevy of impact defenders as well.
Alright, so let’s check out the betting info for this one.
Cavaliers-Pistons: Spread and over/under
According to our partners at WynnBet, the Cavs are favored here by 8.5 points over the Pistons.
The over/under total for both is 208.5, with that for Cleveland being 108.5 and that for Detroit being 100.0.
Cavs-Pistons: Projected starters and injury report
Pistons starters: Corey Joseph, Cade Cunningham, Hamidou Diallo, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart
Cavs starters: Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Pistons injuries: Josh Jackson (questionable, right lumbar spine/spasm); Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk (out, return to competition conditioning); Isaiah Livers (out, foot).
Cavs injuries: Lauri Markkanen (out, ankle); RJ Nembhard (out, ineligible to play); Collin Sexton (out for season, knee); Ricky Rubio (out for season, knee).
Cavs-Pistons: Prediction
This is a matchup where the Cavs should have no issues getting to their preferred spots, and hopefully Garland having three full days of rest, regarding back soreness, should pay off for him here.
Regardless of how Garland does shooting-wise, I would expect him and the team overall to be able to generate penetration in early offense and if the movement is there off-ball, Cleveland causing the likes of Stewart to rotate should open up dumpoffs. That to cutters, such as Okoro and Lamar Stevens should be there here against a young Detroit team, and the same goes for Allen and Mobley, I’d imagine from Garland and Rajon Rondo, to some extent.
Not having Grant and Olynyk doesn’t help the Pistons cause either here, for a number of reasons, and although Bey has been playing well of late, I’d expect Cleveland to deny him more as the game progresses off-ball, and I could foresee Cleveland zoning up some here. That could make it tougher on Cunningham to get to his spots to drive, get to pull-ups and/or to generate sprayouts, and the same goes for Killian Hayes, for instance.
For a Detroit team that’s had a defensive rating north of 118 in its last 10 games, and with the way the Cavs have played in January, combined with three full days of rest, I don’t see a letdown here. The Orlando Magic, another team in the early stages of a full-rebuild took it to the 11-37 Pistons on Friday night, and despite another game where Cunningham makes his presence felt, I don’t foresee it being efficient for him.
And the Cavaliers, generally, handle business here, and cover in the process, even with a hefty spread of 8.5.
As a result, the Cavs snag their 32nd win this season against the spread, and with how easily Cleveland cruises, I’ll take the over on the point total for both here. Cleveland’s average in that area leading into their game versus the Bucks on Wednesday was 212.9, for reference.
Prediction: Cavs 114, Pistons 96
The Bet: Cavs (-8.5), OVER
Cavaliers-Pistons: How to watch
This second meeting of the season between Central Division foes can be seen regionally on Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Detroit and Bally Sports Indiana.
For those not with those options and/or out of market, fans subscribed can stream this one via NBA League Pass.
Cavs upcoming schedule:
As we previously alluded to, after this Pistons matchup, the Cavaliers will play the Pelicans for the second and final time this season, and look to avenge their loss there this time at home. The Cavs blew a huge lead, one where they were at one point up by 23 at New Orleans in late December, but not having Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen was tough. The Pels were without Brandon Ingram, though, and are still without Zion Williamson (Ingram has missed the past four games due to an ankle sprain, as an aside).
Following that New Orleans game, Cleveland will head down to take on the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Houston is another club in the early stages of a rebuild, but their youngsters play with a ton of energy. They’ll look to rebound from their last game versus the Cavs to split the season series, and Houston was especially shorthanded then in Cleveland.
And from there, the Cavaliers will next play at the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, where they’ll be going up against LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges and a terrific offense. That should be a fun contrast of styles.