The Cavaliers battled back from a 2-0 series deficit to win both games at home in Cleveland and even up the playoff series with the Pistons. The action will travel to Detroit tonight with the series now a best-of-three contest to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

You can check out the full preview and prediction for the series on DraftKings Network here.

Looking at the odds for Game 5, the Pistons enter as a 4.5-point favorite and hold -180 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Cavaliers hold +150 odds of winning outright with the game total set at 212.5 points.

Cavaliers at Pistons preview

The Cleveland Cavaliers went through a major midseason facelift to move on from Darius Garland and push their chips in around James Harden at the deadline. There were some notable ups and downs across the season. But they ultimately finished with a 52-30 record, including going 19-7 following Harden’s acquisition to earn the fourth seed in the conference. It took seven games to do so, but they defeated the Toronto Raptors in the opening round to keep their postseason hopes alive. On the season overall, the Cavaliers are 38-55 against the spread and the game total is 47-46 to the over/under.

Even following Harden’s addition, Donovan Mitchell still headlines the production for Cleveland. The seven-time All-Star posted averages of 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds across the regular season. Harden added 20.5 points and 7.7 assists across his 26 games in Cleveland, while Evan Mobley posted averages of 18.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Jarrett Allen, Max Strus, Jaylon Tyson and Dean Wade also play notable roles. It is a clean injury report for Cleveland in the Game 5 matchup.

As a team, the Cavaliers scored 119.5 points per game across the regular season, which ranked fourth in the NBA. Cleveland also ranks sixth in offensive rating, eighth in field goal percentage, and 13th in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents have scored 115.4 points per game against the Cavaliers, which ranks 15th. They also rank 15th in defensive rating, eighth in opponent field goal percentage, and 26th in opponent three-point percentage.

It was a dominant regular season for the Detroit Pistons, who have taken the leap into the true contender category. They have laid the foundation by collecting impressive young talent and are now reaping the benefits of their collective growth. Detroit led the Eastern Conference in record from start to finish, closing with a 66-22 mark. The Orlando Magic gave them a bit of a scare in the opening round, but the Pistons survived in seven games. On the season overall, Detroit is 49-44 against the spread and 44-49 to the over/under.

Kevin Huerter, Caris LeVert, and Duncan Robinson are each listed as questionable on tonight’s injury report. Cade Cunningham battled a collapsed lung at the tail end of the season but returned for the final three regular-season games and has largely looked like himself in the postseason. The former No. 1 pick leads the Pistons with 23.9 points, 9.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds on the season. Jalen Duren made an All-Star leap alongside him, posting averages of 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game on the season, but he has greatly struggled in this series. Daniss Jenkins has been a breakout impact player this year, while Tobias Harris provides veteran leadership to the young roster. Ausar Thompson, Duncan Robinson and Ron Holland also play notable roles.

Detroit is scoring 117.8 points per game this season, which ranks eighth in the NBA. The Pistons also rank 10th in offensive rating, third in field-goal percentage and 17th in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 109.6 points per game against the Pistons, which ranks third in the league. J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad also ranks second in defensive rating, third in opponent field-goal percentage and first in opponent three-point percentage.

Series takeaways

The Detroit Pistons’ defense was the most notable takeaway through the opening two games. Cleveland was limited to 101 and 97 points in the first two matchups, in which James Harden was unable to generate any sort of separation against the Pistons’ collection of high-level defenders. Detroit produced a 111-101 win in Game 1 and won 107-97 in Game 2, covering the spread in both games.

Detroit led the game for 91% of the matchup in Game 1 and stretched the lead to as many as 18 points. There was a similar level of control in Game 2. The Pistons led for 94% of the matchup and extended the lead to as much as 14.

Things shifted when the series returned to Cleveland. The Cavaliers won both games at home by scores of 116-109 and 112-103, covering the spread in each. Harden found ways to be more effective in getting to his spots on the floor, which was directly related to the team’s success.

Cleveland held a lead for 75% of Game 3, shooting 58% from the floor and stretching the lead as wide as 17. The Cavaliers stretched the lead to as many as 21 points in Game 4, although they only held a lead for 62% of the matchup.

The style of game is directly tied to the outlook for both sides in this matchup. Cleveland has more top-end scoring ability, but Detroit has a defensive level that the opposing side cannot match. As has been the theme throughout his career, so much of the outlook is dependent on Harden. It is directly correlated that the two games he has played well, the Cavaliers have won, and the two he struggled in ended up being losses.

Cavaliers at Pistons Game 5 prediction, pick

The Cavaliers have yet to win a game on the road in the postseason, but don’t expect this to start tonight. This is especially the case with the Pistons defending their home court well. Across the regular season, Detroit went 31-9 when playing at home and is 25-21 overall against the spread in home matchups.

Cleveland deserves credit for improving the offensive output over the past two games. However, the blueprint does not feel sustainable. The Cavaliers shot 58% from the floor in Game 3, which was not only the best an opponent has shot the ball against the Pistons in the playoffs, but across the entire season. Defense will continue to be this Pistons team’s identity, so expect this to be put on display with the home crowd behind them.

Mental toughness has been a common concern with this Cavaliers team. Both J.B. Bickerstaff (who was the Cavs’ coach before taking the Pistons job) and Kenny Atkinson have publicly challenged the toughness of the collective teams following postseason exits, and Harden is not exactly known to be a cure for this. It took all-out effort from the Cavaliers across the past two games to earn the back-to-back wins. But Harden’s burst did not return overnight, and creating separation will continue to be an uphill battle.

My lean is toward the game total remaining under, but my top bet is for the Pistons to win and cover the 4.5-point spread. Detroit has put its resiliency and toughness on display all season, and this is now its most important game of the year. Count on the defense returning to its elite level and for Cleveland to struggle to score across the matchup. The Pistons have enough offensive talent to put the matchup away and back them to take the 3-2 series lead.

Best Bet: Pistons -4.5 (-102)