Cavaliers Face Pistons in High-Stakes NBA Showdown

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Cavaliers (36-9) will host the Detroit Pistons (23-22) on Monday at 7 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, aiming to extend their dominance over their divisional rival. The Cavaliers, riding a 10-game winning streak against the Pistons, look to rebound from a rare three-game losing skid, while Detroit seeks to bounce back after a recent loss to the Orlando Magic.

The Cavaliers lead the season series 1-0, having defeated the Pistons 113-101 on Oct. 25. Cleveland, however, enters the game struggling, having lost three consecutive games for the first time this season, including a 135-131 defeat to the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Despite the slump, Cleveland remains a formidable force at home, boasting an NBA-best 21-3 record at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Detroit, meanwhile, saw its two-game winning streak snapped with a 121-113 loss to Orlando on Saturday. Guard Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with a game-high 35 points, but the team failed to cover as a 3.5-point road underdog. The Pistons have shown resilience on the road, covering the spread in five of their last nine games, including four of their last five away matchups.

According to SportsLine consensus, the Cavaliers are 11-point favorites, with the over/under set at 235 points. Cleveland’s offense, ranked first in offensive rating, 2-point percentage, and 3-point percentage, will test Detroit’s perimeter defense, which ranks 22nd in 3-point makes allowed per game. However, the Pistons have been strong against the spread as underdogs, with a 15-8-1 record on the road.

Key players to watch include Cleveland’s Darius Garland, who scored 39 points in the loss to Houston, and Donovan Mitchell, who added 33 points. For Detroit, Cunningham’s recent performances, including a 35-point, 11-assist outing against Orlando, highlight his rising star status. The Pistons may also benefit from Cleveland’s injury woes, as the Cavaliers will be without three rotation players: Caris LeVert (wrist), Evan Mobley (knee), and Isaac Okoro (shoulder).

SportsLine’s projection model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, leans toward the Under on the total points, projecting 230 combined points. The model also indicates that one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations.

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