Oddsmakers at various sportsbooks list the Cavaliers as favorites to win the Eastern Conference ahead of the Pistons, who are 5.5 games ahead of the Celtics and 7.5 games ahead of the Cavs.
How fitting that these two division rivals will meet in Detroit on Friday night.
It’s a perfect opportunity for the world to see if the new-look Cavaliers are actually on the same level as the Pistons.
The Pistons now have the best record in the NBA after beating the Thunder on Wednesday night.
They are combining suffocating defense with an offense that loves to get into the paint and attack.
That offensive attack is led by Cade Cunningham, who could end up being the NBA MVP if the required games played rule ends up removing other candidates in his way.
That doesn’t make him less qualified as a candidate.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) shoots as Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) defends. AP Cunningham is producing at a mind-boggling level.
He’s averaging 25.4 points per game — a shade below his career-high 26.1 ppg mark from last season — and dishing out 9.8 assists, which ranks second in the NBA behind Nikola Jokic (10.5).
His 9.8 assists account for 25.2 points per game, per NBA Advanced Stats, which means he’s responsible for more than 50 points per game for a team that scores 117 each night.
He looks nearly unstoppable right now, and the Cavaliers will have a difficult time slowing him down.
The Cavs lack the defenders in their starting lineup who can prevent Cade from getting to his spots.
If they bring in better on-ball defenders like Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder off the bench, Cunningham can just shoot over them.
Add in the fact that James Harden and Donovan Mitchell are dealing with injuries, and I think the Pistons have the edge here at home.
Detroit’s physicality up front should wear Cleveland down enough for the Pistons to put this game away.
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
