Something’s gotta give. Detroit and Cleveland will put their respective two-game winning streaks on the line when they lock horns this coming Friday in a mouth-watering NBA clash. Both teams are playing some incredible basketball of late, so expect a high-quality encounter between the two sides.
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this gripping matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the Australian Open Women’s Singles final between Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons Preview
Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills
When: Friday, January 29, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Cleveland Cavaliers (-4.5) at Detroit Pistons (+4.5); total: 206.5 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: FSOH/FSDT
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers (32-12)
The Cleveland Cavaliers stretched their unbeaten run to two games with a convincing 115-93 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. LeBron James and Kevin Love led the way for the Cavs, combining for 42 points on 15-of-25 shooting from the field. With the victory, the Cavs improved to 2-1 under new head coach Tyronn Lue.
Key to the Cavs’ resurgence has been their incredible offense. The Cavs have stepped up their offensive play of late, averaging 114.5 points in their last two games. That’s way above their season average of 101.6 points. That sizzling offense was in full display Wednesday against the Suns where they shot a solid 55.6 percent from the floor.
Things are finally starting to click for Lue who wants his Cavs team to push the pace and share the ball more. That brand of basketball was pretty much evident in the Cavs’ win against the Suns where they recorded a season-high 34 assists. Cleveland executed Lue’s strategy to perfection against the Suns as the Cavs dropped dimes on 75.6 percent of their made baskets.
They will look to keep the momentum going when they take on the Pistons later tonight. The Cavs will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well against the Pistons of late. They have won six of their last eight meetings with Detroit. The Cavaliers have covered the spread in five of those eight games.
The Cavaliers are 8-2 SU and 3-5-2 ATS in their last 10 road games.
The Detroit Pistons extended their winning streak to two games with a 110-97 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. Andre Drummond led the way for the Pistons in this contest, scoring 25 points and grabbing 18 rebounds, nine of which came on the offensive end. He has been incredible for the Pistons this season, averaging 19.3 points and a team-best 15.2 boards per game.
Providing the impetus for the Pistons’ sudden resurgence has been their phenomenal defense. They’re allowing an average of just 94.5 points in their last two games. Things are bound to get tougher, though, for Stan Van Gundy’s men as standing in their way tonight are the Cleveland Cavaliers led by the re-energized LeBron James.
He has been red-hot from the field over the last two games, shooting at a high 78.3 percent clip (18-of-23) for the Cavaliers. The Pistons will take comfort in the fact, however, that James has struggled against them his entire career. His 24.4 career scoring average versus Detroit is his lowest against any East opponent. James did score 30 points, though, in Cleveland’s 104-99 defeat to Detroit earlier this season.
The Pistons are 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.
