Expect fireworks to erupt at Quicken Loans Arena this coming Sunday as the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons lock horns in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference First Round matchup. LeBron James and the rest of the Cavaliers are hell-bent on bringing that first-ever championship back to Cleveland. Pulling off that feat ain’t gonna be easy, though, for the defending Eastern Conference champions as they will face a resilient Detroit squad that barged into the playoffs for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
Who will grab the advantage in the series opener? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this Game 1 clash and while you are at it, you can check out our other Eastern Conference Game 1 previews in Raptors vs. Pacers, Heat vs. Hornets and Hawks vs. Celtics.
Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Game 1 Preview
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
When: Sunday, April 17, 3:00 PM ET
Line: Detroit Pistons (+11) at Cleveland Cavaliers (-11); total: 201.0 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
Betting on the Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons will head to their first-round clash with Cleveland with momentum on their side after eking out a 112-110 win over the Cavaliers in their final regular-season game on Wednesday night. With the victory, the Pistons finished the season with 44 wins, their highest tally in eight years.
Much of the credit for this stunning turnaround should be given to head coach Stan Van Gundy. In just his second year with Detroit, he has managed to guide the Pistons to their first playoff berth since 2009. That’s quite an achievement for Van Gundy considering Detroit had six consecutive losing seasons prior to this year’s campaign.
They will fancy their chances of extending that excellent form against Cleveland as they have fared extremely well against the Cavs this season. The Pistons have won three of their four meetings with the top-seeded Cavs this campaign. Detroit covered the spread in all of those three wins.
For the Pistons to record a major shock in Game 1, they will need Andre Drummond to continue his excellent play. Drummond posted monster numbers against Cleveland this season, averaging 20.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.67 blocks in three meetings with the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Another player who’s expected to contribute in the series opener is Reggie Jackson. He has been declared fit for Game 1 after missing the Pistons’ last two regular-season games with a strained abdominal muscle. That will be a major boost for a Pistons’ offense that’s averaging 102.0 points per game this season, 19th in the NBA. Jackson led the Pistons in scoring this campaign with an 18.8 PPG average.
The Pistons are 7-3 SU and 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games against the Cavs.
Cleveland remains the team to beat in the East after another spectacular campaign this season. The Cavaliers who are pegged at +400 to win the 2016 NBA championship, finished the season with a 57-25 record, one game better than second-place Toronto.
Their quest for a maiden NBA title begins this coming Sunday when they lock horns with the Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference First Round series. For this upcoming playoff run, the Cavs are expected to once again ride their All-Star trio of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. They averaged a combined 60.9 points, 20.3 rebounds and 13.9 assists per game for the Cavs this season.
What makes this Cleveland side such a tough team to beat, however, is its exemplary defense. The Cavaliers are fourth in the NBA in scoring defense, allowing just 98.3 points per contest this season. They are 10th in the league in defensive efficiency, allowing just 1.013 points per possession this campaign. The Cavs will need to be at their best, though, against a Detroit team that averaged 104.5 points against them in four meetings this season.
The Cavs are 7-3 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 home games.
