The Cleveland Cavaliers have stormed back to win both their home matchups and even the series with the Pistons 2-2. The action will travel back to Detroit tonight, with the home team winning all four games in the series to this point. This is the most pivotal matchup, with the outlook now reduced to a best-of-three series.
Looking at the odds for Game 5, the Pistons enter as 4.5-point favorites and hold -180 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Cavaliers hold +150 odds of pulling off the upset with the game total set at 211.5 points.
Tonight, DraftKings Sportsbook is offering an amazing profit boost promotion for the NBA Playoffs. Opt in and create a same-game parlay (SGP) for this tilt between the Cavaliers and the Pistons with your single-use Profit Boost Token. The only catch? The parlay must be at least four legs with odds of at least +300 or longer. Seems simple enough, right? So simple I think I’ll whip one up right now.
You can check out the game prediction, top player props, and plenty more on DraftKings Network. In this article, let’s look at my top same-game parlay for the Eastern Conference clash.
Pistons at Cavaliers Same Game Parlay:
- Cade Cunningham to Record 25+ Points
- Detroit Pistons Moneyline
- James Harden Under 19.5 Points
- Tobias Harris to Record 15+ Points
- Evan Mobley to Record 20+ Points & Rebounds
Cade Cunningham to Record 25+ Points (-177)
While defense will remain the calling card of this Pistons team, you must put the ball in the hoop to win. Cade Cunningham holds massive responsibility in this regard and is currently leading the NBA with 29.2 points per game across the postseason. The standard point prop for Cunningham is listed at 26.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook. While I like the outlook for his standard scoring prop, dropping it down to 25+ points provides even more insurance. Cunningham has tallied 25+ points in 9 of the 11 postseason games. He has yet to shoot better than 50% from the floor in a matchup in this series, and he still cleared this total twice. With the home crowd behind him in a must-win matchup, count on the Pistons star seeing as much shot volume as necessary and recording 25+ points tonight.
Detroit Pistons Moneyline (-180)
The home team has won all four games in this series to this point. This trend extends to the first round surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers, as they went to seven games with the Raptors, in which the home team won all seven matchups. It is a strong home court presence in Detroit, with the Pistons going 31-9 across the regular season and winning three of their four games at home across the playoffs. Detroit had an uncharacteristic defensive performance in the past two games, including allowing the best field-goal percentage that it has allowed to any team all season in Game 3. Detroit has looked like the better team all year, with a clear identity and understanding of who it is. The winning team has covered the spread in all four games in this series, and my lean is toward this remaining the case. But I am taking the moneyline tonight and backing the Pistons to take the 3-2 series advantage.
James Harden Under 19.5 Points (-119)
One of the driving reasons for this series shift has been the performance of James Harden. He looked like the player the Cavaliers hoped they traded for at the deadline, with some heroic shotmaking in crunch time. Harden is averaging 19.9 points per game in the playoffs and 18.8 per game in the series. He has been held to under 19.5 points in two of the four games in this series and in six of the 11 postseason games. Detroit did an excellent job imposing itself physically in the first two games of this series, with its length and athleticism making it extremely difficult for him to generate separation. Expect an all-out effort to make life difficult and force the ball out of his hands at a greater rate tonight. Count on the 19.5-point line to be too high and for the Pistons’ defense to get back to the level they showed earlier in the series.
Tobias Harris to Record 15+ Points (-330)
The list of players playing better basketball than Tobias Harris in this postseason is relatively short. Detroit’s veteran leader has been in an absolute rhythm in the playoffs, averaging 20.8 points per game after dropping 13.3 per game in the regular season. Harris has tallied 15+ points in all 11 playoff games, including scoring 20+ in three of the four games in this series. Detroit desperately needs other players to step up as a scorer alongside Cunningham, and Harris has answered this call. The standard point prop for the 33-year-old is set at 18.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook, but I am bumping this down a few notches and backing his stretch of success to continue carrying over.
Evan Mobley to Record 20+ Points & Rebounds (-263)
In the wider scale of the series, neither Evan Mobley nor Jalen Duren has lived up to expectations. But Duren’s struggles have provided Mobley with the opportunity to continue asserting himself, and he has largely had the upper hand in the matchup. The former Defensive Player of the Year is posting averages of 13.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in this series and 16.4 points and 7.8 rebounds in the playoffs overall. He has tallied 20+ combined points and rebounds in three of the four games in this series, and in nine of the 11 postseason games. His size is a factor, and the Pistons’ shooting struggles have provided him with plenty of rebounding opportunities. Cleveland needs a strong performance from Mobley on the interior to remain competitive, and 20+ combined points and rebounds is a comfortable bar for him to clear.
You can also tail this bet and other top picks from DraftKings Network writers through the NBA player pulse social group here.
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- Opt in to receive your NBA Play-In Boost Token in the Promotions page
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