Tuesday marks the start of two more NBA second-round series. The Detroit Pistons host the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers. Below, I make picks for each game, highlighting which players I think will excel or struggle. Here are the best NBA same game parlays (SGPs) for Tuesday, May 5th’s game Cavaliers vs. Pistons.
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Tuesday’s Best NBA Same Game Parlays & Picks: Cavaliers vs. Pistons
(Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
Cavaliers vs. Pistons Same Game Parlay
Leg #1: Cavaliers Moneyline (+130)
Based on how the Pistons played in their first-round series against the Magic, I'm backing the Cavaliers to win this series. While these two teams were evenly matched during the regular season, splitting the season series 2-2, the Cavaliers beat the Pistons by 21 points in Detroit earlier in the season, and they forced overtime in Detroit in late February.
While the Pistons were phenomenal defensively in the first round, allowing the fewest points per game of any team, they also averaged only 102.4 points per game. While playing great defense worked against the Magic’s lackluster offense, it won't work against the fourth-highest-scoring team in the regular season.
Leg #2: Cade Cunningham Under 29.5 Points (-123)
Cade Cunningham is the reason the Pistons were able to avoid an upset at the hands of the Magic in the first round. He averaged 32.4 points per game, scoring at least 32 in the final three must-win games of the series. Yet, I think this number overvalues Cunningham in this spot.
Cunningham averaged 23.9 points per game during the regular season, and despite his incredible first round, he scored 27 or fewer points in three of the seven games. He hasn't scored more than 27 points in any of his four games against the Cavaliers this season, scoring 12 or fewer twice.
Leg #3: Donovan Mitchell Under 2.5 Made Three-Pointers (+107)
Donovan Mitchell has only faced the Pistons twice this season, but he's yet to make more than three three-pointers against them. In the game where he made three triples, he shot just 30% from deep.
Mitchell struggled from deep late in the series against the Toronto Raptors, making just two three-pointers in each of his final two games against them, and shooting just 4-of-19 in that two-game stretch. The Pistons allowed the Magic to shoot just 32.8% from deep in the first round, and they finished the regular season with the top three-point shooting defense in the league.
Parlay Odds: +650
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Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.