Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons Prediction, 5/5/2026 Preview and Pick

Game: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons

Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Location: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI

TV: NBC

Odds/Point Spread: Cleveland (+3.5)

Little Caesars Arena is the location where the Detroit Pistons (60-22) will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30) on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Detroit opens this game as 3.5-point favorites. The total comes in at 214.5.

The Cavaliers closed out the Raptors by a score of 114-102 in Game 7 of their 1st round series. Cleveland walked away from the contest with a 44.7% field goal percentage (38 of 85) and converted 11 of their 39 three-point shots. At the free throw line, the Cavaliers knocked down 27 of their 37 shots for a percentage of 73.0%. When discussing rebounding, they collected 60 with 20 of them being offensive. They also recorded 23 assists for this contest while forcing the other team into 14 turnovers and having 8 steals. Pertaining to defending, Cleveland allowed their opponent to shoot 43.7% from the floor on 38 out of 87 shooting. Toronto doled out 25 assists and had 10 steals for this game. Furthermore, Toronto pulled down 33 boards (7 offensive, 26 defensive) and added 5 blocks. Toronto walked away from this one shooting 69.2% from the charity stripe by burying 18 of their 26 tries. They made 8 of their 28 shots from 3-point land. Concerning fouls, the Cavaliers finished with 23 while the Raptors accounted for 28 fouls.

Jarrett Allen is one player who was a factor for the contest. He accounted for 22 points on 7 out of 11 shooting. He saw the court for 33 mins played and snagged 19 rebounds. Allen went 63.6% from the floor and also earned 2 assists.

Get all of our NBA Picks Today

Cleveland steps onto the court with a record of 52-30 for the campaign. They average 119.5 pts per contest (4th in the NBA) while shooting 48.2% from the floor. The Cavaliers are connecting on 36.0% on shots from 3-point land (1,173 of 3,261) and 77.6% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Cleveland is grabbing 44.4 boards per game and has earned 2,321 assists on the season, which ranks 8th in basketball in terms of passing. They turn the ball over 14.0 times per game and as a unit they commit 19.6 personal fouls per game.

When they are on the defensive end, the Cavaliers have forced 15.0 turnovers every game and they draw 20.5 personal fouls. They rank 16th in the NBA in allowing assists to the opposition with 2,208 conceded on the season. The Cavaliers defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 46.4% (3,387 of 7,303) and they concede 43.2 rebounds per game as a team. They give up 37.2% from 3-point land while they are 15th in the NBA in points per game allowed (115.4).

In Game 7 of their 1st round series, the Pistons got the victory by a final of 116-94 against the Magic. The Pistons corralled 30 defensive rebounds and 11 offensive boards for a total of 41 in this game. They coughed up the ball 14 times, while getting 9 steals for the matchup. The Magic committed 21 personal fouls in this matchup which took the Pistons to the free throw line for a total of 22 shots. They were able to make 18 of those for a clip of 81.8%. With respect to shooting from beyond the arc, Detroit converted 16 of their 33 tries (48.5%). Overall, the Pistons shot 41 for 80 from the floor which gave them a rate of 51.3%. The Pistons permitted the Magic to make 31 of 75 attempts from the floor which had them at 41.3% for the contest. They finished 33.3% from behind the 3-point line by going 10 out of 30 and finished the contest at 22 of 30 at the free throw line (73.3%). When it comes to how they attacked the glass, Detroit allowed Orlando to grab 33 in all (9 offensive).

Cade Cunningham ended up having an impact for the Pistons in the game. Cunningham tallied 32 points in his 39 minutes on the hardwood and had 12 assists in this game. He knocked down 10 out of 18 for the matchup for a rate of 55.6%, and had 1 rebound.

Detroit has a record of 60-22 this year. As an offense, the Pistons are shooting 48.5% from the field, which has them ranked 3rd in the league. Detroit has totaled 9,657 points so far this year (117.8 per game) and they snag 45.6 boards per game. They are earning an assist 27.8 times per contest (11th in basketball) and they turn it over 15.1 times per game. The Pistons are committing 22.0 fouls per game and they shoot 76.3% from the charity stripe.

The Pistons defensively are ranked 3rd in basketball in PPG surrendered with 109.6. They are able to force 16.9 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 44.3% from the floor (3rd in the league). The Detroit defense allows 34.5% on shots from beyond the perimeter (1,040 of 3,015) and their opponents are knocking down 78.8% of their free throw attempts. They relinquish 23.5 dimes and 40.5 boards every game, which ranks them 1st and 3rd in the league.

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Cleveland (+3.5)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get NBA picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.