Cleveland vs Detroit NBA Playoff Series Betting Lines Preview

LeBron James and the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers will kick off their postseason quest for an NBA Championship when they square off against Reggie Jackson and the upstart eighth-seeded Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. While James and the Cavs have legitimate championship hopes, the Pistons are mostly happy just to be in the postseason for the first time in almost a decade. Thanks to the expert NBA odds analysis that you’re about to get on this match up, you’ll have a great chance to cash in with a winning wager no matter how many games this series lasts. Okay, let’s get rolling.

Cavaliers vs Pistons NBA Playoff Series Betting Lines Preview

Round 1 schedule is here. We start Sunday in Cleveland. #DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/XlJmyCle5f
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) April 14, 2016

Why Bet On The No. 8 Detroit Pistons

The Pistons (44-38 SU, 42-38 ATS) ranked 19th in scoring (102.0 ppg) and 25th in field goal shooting percentage (43.9 %) while also ranking 22nd in three-point shooting percentage (34.5 %), 30th in free throw shooting percentage (66.8 %) and second in rebounding (46.3 rpg). Defensively, Detroit ranked a solid 12th in points allowed (101.4 ppg) while also finishing 22nd in defensive field goal percentage (46.1 %), 16th in three-point defense (35.5 %), and eighth in rebounds allowed (40.8 rpg). The Pistons were 26-15 SU and 24-15-2 ATS at home during the regular season and 18-23 SU and ATS on the road.

Why Bet On The No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers (57-25 SU, 37-42-2 ATS) ranked eighth in scoring during the regular season (104.3 ppg) and 10th in field goal shooting percentage (46.0 %) while also ranking a seventh in three-point shooting percentage (36.2 %), 21st in free throw shooting percentage (74.8 %) and ninth in rebounding (44.5 rpg). Defensively, Cleveland ranked a stupendous fourth in points allowed (98. ppg) while also finishing 14th in defensive field goal percentage (44.8 %), 13th in three-point defense (34.7 %), and fifth in rebounds allowed (41.0 rpg). The Cavaliers were 33-8 SU and 20-21 ATS at home during the regular season and 24-17 SU and 17-21-3 ATS on the road.

My Series Analysis and Expert Pick

As much as I’d like to see the Pistons beat the Cavaliers and ‘cry-baby supreme’ LeBron James, I just don’t see it happening, although I do believe the Pistons are going to make the series a lot more interesting than most people think. The Pistons have five double-digit scorers on their roster and have some players with ‘heart’ starting with Reggie Jackson, but Cleveland also has five double-digit scorers, not to mention home court advantage and LeBron James on their side. The good news for NBA gamblers that like Detroit, you should know that the Pistons have compiled a blistering 13-6 ATS mark in their last 19 games against Cleveland while also posting a stunning 8-2 ATS mark in their last 10 road dates against the Cavs. Right now, I’m thinking this series could easily go six games, if not seven. Again, as much as I’d like to see the Pistons dispatch James, I just don’t see it happening. The Cavs win in six!