Cleveland at Detroit NBA Odds, Betting Pick & TV Info

The Cleveland Cavaliers are almost surely going to be the top seed in the Eastern Conference. There’s a good chance that the Detroit Pistons will be the No. 8 seed. Thursday’s game between the two could be a first-round preview. The Cavs will be NBA odds favorites for this one.

Cleveland at Detroit NBA Odds, Betting Pick & TV Info

When: Thursday, March 9, 7:30 PM ET Where: Palace of Auburn Hills, Mich. TV: NBA League Pass NBA Odds: Cavs favored by TBA

Why Bet on Cleveland?

The Cavs still are atop the East but they got a double-whammy of bad news on Monday, losing 106-98 at home to Miami for a third loss in four games and also seeing new addition Andrew Bogut lost for the season to a broken leg. Bogut was traded from Dallas to Philadelphia ahead of the Feb. 23 trade deadline but then bought out by the Sixers. Several contenders wanted Bogut, including the Warriors. He was a big part of that team the previous two years. In fact, he played in four games for the Warriors in last year’s NBA Finals vs. Cleveland and Golden State led 3-1. He was hurt early in Game 5 and didn’t play again in the series – and the Warriors lost the next three games. Less than a minute into his Cavaliers career, Bogut went down with a fractured left tibia Monday night. The injury occurred when Bogut was closing out on Miami Heat forward Okaro White and his left leg collided with White’s left knee with 11:38 remaining in the second quarter. Bogut had played just 58 seconds. Bogut wasn’t going to play heavy minutes for the Cavs, but he’s a good defender, rebounder and passer. It’s not a championship-killing loss but it certainly doesn’t help the Cavs’ chances. Kyrie Irving scored 32 and LeBron James had 30 points and 17 rebounds for Cleveland in the loss. Irving is working on a streak of 13 consecutive games with 22 or more points dating back to Feb. 1. Irving is averaging 28.1 points per game during the span, well over his season average of 25.0 ppg. James is averaging 32.0 points, 14.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game in three March outings. The Cavs were previously beaten by 22 on Saturday in Miami while James and Irving got some rest. There could be some upcoming good news for the Cavs as guard J.R. Smith may be just days away from his return after missing nearly three months following thumb surgery. He played some 3-on- 3 before Monday’s game.

Why Bet on Detroit?

This will be the second of a back-to- back for the Pistons after visiting Indiana on Wednesday. Coach Stan Van Gundy decided to let Reggie Jackson play the entire fourth quarter in Monday’s victory over Chicago. As recently as Saturday morning, Van Gundy admitted he was considering yanking Jackson out of the starting lineup and replacing him with Ish Smith. Also, he had benched Jackson for entire fourth quarters on numerous occasions of late. However, in the two games since, Jackson has scored a combined 47 points and dished out eight assists. Jackson seems to have secured his spot, at least for the moment. The Detroit Pistons have won 11 of their last 14 home games and are averaging 110.6 ppg in those compared to 98.9 in their first 18 at home. The Pistons rank second in least amount of turnovers per game, averaging just 12.0 turnovers a contest. Andre Drummond ranks eighth in the NBA in total steals and first among centers. His projected 138 steals would be the most by a center since 2005-06 when Ben Wallace recorded 146 steals. Drummond also ranks in the top five of all three rebounding categories per game in the NBA: Offensive, Defensive and Total rebounds. Detroit is 1-1 against the Cavaliers this season. Jon Leuer is averaging 14.0 points against the Cavs this season. Irving is averaging 21.5 points against the Pistons this season. Detroit has lost five of the last seven games at home against the Cavs. Detroit holds a 122-86 all-time record against Cleveland and a 72-32 home record.

Cleveland at Detroit Betting Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers

I might give the Pistons a shot if they weren’t playing the night before on the road.