Cavaliers vs. Pistons Game 5 Best Betting Picks, Predictions

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson is thinking about his strategy for Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons and he’ll surely ask the question on the minds of all Cleveland fans: “Hey Donovan, any chance you can score tons of points in the first half, too?”

Mitchell scored 39 of his 43 points in Game 4 in the second half as the host Cavaliers evened the Eastern Conference second-round series at two games apiece. The series is back in Detroit on Wednesday, where the Pistons won Games 1 and 2, and fourth-seeded Cleveland has to win a game in the Motor City at some point if it desires to advance to the conference finals.

The Pistons won each of their previous home games in the series by 10 points and they recorded an East-leading 31 home victories in the regular season. Top-seeded Detroit needs this game badly or it risks an elimination game in Cleveland on Friday.

Can Cavaliers solve the Pistons at home?

Cleveland is 1-3 at Detroit this season counting the regular season and though its lone win came way back on Oct. 27, it was quite a steamrolling. The Cavaliers led by as many as 35 points in the 116-95 victory and forced 26 turnovers.

Cleveland took control of Monday’s 112-103 home win when it scored 24 consecutive points from late in the first half until the middle of the third quarter. Then you count Mitchell going crazy and his 39 second-half points tied the postseason record of Eric “Sleepy” Floyd of the Houston Rockets in the 1987 playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Pistons sure didn’t receive much help from the officiating crew as they shot just 12 free throws (making nine) while Cleveland made 30 of 34. Detroit can’t let that kind of discrepancy occur again or the Cavaliers will win Game 5.

Pistons star Cade Cunningham had just 19 points and three rebounds in the loss but I suppose he was due to have a letdown game. A better performance on Wednesday from Cunningham should put Detroit back in the series lead.

Pistons minus 3.5-point spread, -112 (DraftKings)

Cunningham or Mitchell? Who puts on bigger show in Game 5?

Cunningham (28-plus points, -105) scored under 20 for the first time this postseason in Game 4 and he also didn’t lead Detroit in scoring. Caris LeVert did with 24. But Cunningham’s first-round series explosions – 45, 39, 32, 32 -- against Orlando hint that a 30-point outing is on the horizon.

But he also has shot 37% or lower twice in this series and 39.5 over the four games so the Cavaliers are doing a good job of mixing up their defenses on him. Perhaps Tobias Harris (19 points, -109) can take pressure off Cunningham by notching his fourth 20-point effort of the series.

Mitchell (27-plus points, -109) has topped 30 in three straight games, is averaging 33 points in the series and shooting 49.5% and it’s hard to see much of a drop-off. He has hoisted 24 or more shots in each of the past three games so he will have plenty of opportunities.

Sidekick James Harden is attempting 14 shots per game and whoever saw him having this much recognition that the Cavaliers are Mitchell’s show and not his? Harden (20-plus points, +109; eight-plus assists, +125) has topped 20 points twice in the series but those 11 assists he had in Game 4 was his best contribution.

Donovan Mitchell to score 27-plus points, -109 (DraftKings)