The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons clash in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday, May 7, at 7:00 p.m. ET, televised by Prime Video. The Pistons enter as 3.5-point favorites on the spread, via PrizePicks.
After trailing 5-0 to begin Game 1, the Pistons took a 10-7 lead and never looked back, storming to a 10-point win and 1-0 series lead. The Pistons trailed the Magic in the first round 3-1 and have now won four postseason games in a row.
Below, we’ll break down our Cavaliers vs. Pistons prediction and picks for Thursday’s NBA game, including the spread, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.
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Cavaliers vs. Pistons Prediction, Spread, Over/Under for Game 2 – Thursday, May 7
After struggling to generate any offense outside of PG Cade Cunningham through the first four games of the postseason, the Pistons' offense saw all five starters score in double figures in Game 1 over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cunningham led the way with 23 points but was helped by Tobias Harris’ 20, Duncan Robinson’s 19, and Jalen Duren’s double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. Cunningham leads all NBA players with a 31.3 PPG average this postseason, scoring 23+ points in all eight games. After only averaging 18.0 PPG in the first four postseason games, Harris has scored 95 points over the last four games (23.8).
The Pistons' defense, which had the second-best defensive rating at 108.9 and third-best in opponents’ scoring at 109.6 during the regular season, did its job as well, forcing 19 Cavaliers turnovers, leading to 31 points.
James Harden continues to struggle for Cleveland. He had 7 turnovers in Monday’s Game 1 and now has 43 turnovers in eight postseason games. He’s also only shooting 34.5% from beyond the arc after shooting 38.0% from deep in the regular season.
The Cavaliers are 0-4 on the road in the postseason heading into Wednesday’s Game 2 in Detroit.
Cavaliers vs. Pistons Spread, Over/Under for Game 2 – Thursday, May 7
The Pistons enter Thursday’s game as 3.5-point favorites against the Cavaliers, returning a 1.56x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for Cavaliers vs. Pistons on PrizePicks.
- Spread: Detroit Pistons -3.5 (1.85x)
- Over/Under: 215.5 (1.85x payout on Over)
- Game Winner Payout: Cavaliers 2.32x | Pistons 1.56x
Play the Cavaliers vs. Pistons spread or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons Timeline
Here is the full Cavaliers vs. Pistons timeline, including the playoff series game-by-game and recent matchup history.
All-Time: Pistons, 142-125
Regular Season: Tied 2-2
Postseason: Pistons, 1-0
Cavaliers vs. Pistons Conference Semifinals Timeline, Schedule for 2026 NBA Playoffs
- Game 1: Pistons 111, Cavaliers 101
- Game 2: Thursday, May 7, 7:00 p.m. at Detroit
- Game 3: Saturday, May 9, 3:00 p.m. at Cleveland
- Game 4: Monday, May 11, 8:00 p.m. at Cleveland
- Game 5-7 if necessary
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Cavaliers vs. Pistons Prediction on Spread for Game 2 – 5/7/26
Here are the key stats and trends behind our Cavaliers vs. Pistons prediction on the spread for Thursday, May 7
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- Cleveland is 36-54 (40.0%) this season against the spread, the worst cover percentage in the NBA. They’ve only covered in three of the eight postseason games but covered in three of the four regular-season games vs. the Pistons this season.
- Despite the poor cover percentage, the Cavs have been much better in the underdog spot, covering in nine of 17 games and winning seven of them outright.
- Cleveland had one of the best offenses this season, finishing fourth in scoring (119.5) and sixth in offensive rating (118.3). In the postseason, they are fifth in scoring (110.5) and fifth in offensive rating (112.2)
- Are the Pistons back to the team that won 60 games and earned the No. 1 seed? After struggling to generate an offense outside of Cade Cunningham in the first five games vs. Orlando, the Pistons have tallied 109.0 points per game on 46% shooting for a 117.5 rating over the last four games.
- During the regular season, the Pistons' offense averaged 117.8 points per game (eighth) and shot 48.5% from the field (third), with an offensive rating of 117.3 (ninth), per NBA Advanced Stats.
- After failing to cover in four of the first five games of the first round, the Pistons have covered in the past three games and are 48-42 against the spread this season, tied for seventh-best among postseason teams.
- As a favorite, the Pistons have struggled, going 35-40 ATS (46.7%), which is the sixth-worst among playoff teams.
Cavaliers vs. Pistons Player Picks, Stats for PrizePicks – 5/7/26
Here are the top Cavaliers vs. Pistons picks to target in the NBA Playoffs on PrizePicks for Thursday, May 7. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks include G Donovan Mitchell and PG Cade Cunningham.
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Cavaliers G Donovan Mitchell Pistons Projection: 25.5 Points
- Cavaliers G Donovan Mitchell has failed to reach his points projection in six straight games, including the final five games of the first-round series vs. the Raptors.
- In those last six games, Mitchell didn’t hit more than 50.0% of his shots. The last six times he's converted 50.0% of his shots, he’s hit his points prop.
- “Spida” has gone six straight games without hitting 25 points, his longest stretch since late in the 2024 season, when he was battling injuries.
- Mitchell has scored 30+ in 34 games this season, and that's the fourth-most of any player in the NBA. The Louisville product finished seventh in the NBA, averaging 27.9 PPG.
- In 19 career games vs. the Pistons, Mitchell is averaging 26.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 3.4 APG. In the three games he played this season, Mitchell scored 35, 30, and 23 points.
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Pistons PG Cade Cunningham vs. Cavaliers Projection: 27.5 Points
- Pistons guard Cade Cunningham failed to hit his projected points in Game 1, after exceeding them in the final three games of the first round series, scoring 32+ points in each.
- He is averaging 31.3 PPG in the postseason, more than any player in the NBA.
- Cunningham is shooting 44.6% from the field in the postseason. In the final seven games of the regular season, sandwiched around missing 11 games with an injury, Cunningham averaged 14.0 PPG on 48.8% shooting.
- Cleveland held the Pistons' top scorer to 18.5 points on 34.2% shooting in the four matchups this season, and that's adjusted to 19.4 PPG on 33.7% following Game 1.
- In 17 career games vs. the Cavs, Cunningham is averaging 20.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.8 assists.
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NBA Playoffs Live Picks: Cavaliers vs. Pistons on PrizePicks for Game 2
Here are some in-game angles to target for your Cavaliers vs. Pistons live picks in tonight's game.
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- In 15 career postseason games, Cunningham is averaging 28.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game.
- The big advantage for the Pistons comes in the second quarter, as Detroit is the best second-quarter team in the NBA with a 30.1-point average.
- The Cavs are 28th in the league in second-quarter scoring at 27.7. In Game 1, it was Cleveland who won the quarter, 25-22.
- Cleveland is the highest-scoring second-half team in the NBA, averaging 60.8 points. Detroit averages 56.3 in the second half (20th). The Cavs won the second half in Game 1, 55-52.
- The big difference comes in the fourth quarter, where the Cavs again are the best in the NBA with 29.7 points per fourth quarter, while the Pistons are 12th at 27.8.
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The Pistons struck first, with a 10-point win at home in Game 1. Will the Cavaliers earn the split, or will they return to Cleveland down 2-0?
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