The Cleveland Cavaliers have pretty much carried on from where they left off with back-to-back dominant wins after the All-Star break. Not to be outdone, the new-look Detroit Pistons have also grabbed two very good wins of their own to set up an exciting clash in the Central Division.
Can the Pistons slow down LeBron and the Cavaliers? Read on as we give you a full break down of this crucial game.
Speaking of the Central Division, the Bulls, Bucks and Pacers will also be in action on Tuesday night. Check out our complete previews for Bucks vs. Bulls and Pacers vs. Thunder.
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons Preview
Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit
When: Tuesday, February 24, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Cleveland Cavaliers (-6.5) at Detroit Pistons (+6.5); total 204.0 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers made two big statements in back-to-back road games after the All-Star break. They blew out a talented group in Washington 127-89 on Friday before laying a 101-83 beat down on New York two days later. The Cavs did it with LeBron James playing under 30 minutes in both games.
[sc:NBA240banner ]James scored 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting and had seven rebounds and seven assists in the win at New York. Only an alley-oop dunk from J.R. Smith to Iman Shumpert made him leave his seat in the fourth quarter. His teammates are finally clicking, which puts less demand on the four-time MVP.
Smith finished with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, Kyrie Irving had 18 points and Kevin Love had 16 points and 16 rebounds for his eighth double-double in his last 16 games. The three combined to score 50 of the Cavs’ points in a January 27 103-95 win at Detroit, while James had 32.
After getting extended rest over the past two games, expect James to soak in the minutes. He’s averaged 22.8 points in 34.7 minutes of play over his last six games against the Pistons. With James on the floor, Irving may be able to fly under the radar to score a bucket-load of points. He scored 38 in his last trip to Detroit and has averaged 21.3 points against the Pistons in his career.
But even with all their stars taking the floor, the Cavs may struggle to get on the scoreboard against Detroit. The Pistons have allowed just 91 points per game in their last three, fourth in the league over that span.
The Cavs can open up Detroit’s defense by burying some timely threes, though. Detroit is ranked 21st in the league when it comes to three-point defense. Irving and Smith are the usual suspects for the Cavs’ three-point attack. Irving has shot 43 percent from downtown this month, while Smith has sunk 46 percent of three-point attempts over the past two games.
Cleveland has won six of its last eight on the road, going 5-3 against the spread.
LeBron and the Cavs are marching toward a postseason berth. Create a betting account now and back King James in his bid for a third NBA Championship.
Betting on the Detroit Pistons
The All-Star break seemed to do Detroit some good. The Pistons have won back-to-back games against Chicago and Washington since the season resumed. This version of the Pistons looks poised for an explosive end to the season, especially with a new point guard in tow.
The Pistons managed to snatch point guard Reggie Jackson from Oklahoma City at the trade deadline. He seemed unsteady in his debut, missing his first eight shots. Jackson responded by making seven of his next 10 shots to finish with 17 points. He added five assists and five rebounds in his Detroit debut.
With a capable point guard directing their offense, Detroit may also have an increase in production from big men Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe. The two put up their usual double-doubles, but may have more of a scoring punch considering Jackson can find them for open shots.
Drummond has averaged 14 points and 17 rebounds in two games against the Cavs this season, while Monroe has averaged 13.5 points and nine boards. They should be able to exploit Cleveland’s leaky defense inside the paint (43.1 points per game, 22nd in the league).
While Detroit’s big men threaten from inside, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope can prowl the perimeter to take mid-range jumpers or put himself in position for open three-pointers. He has shot 48 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range post All-Star break.
The Pistons are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 against Cleveland.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cavs continue their hot streak. Take Cleveland to win and cover the spread.
