The top overall seed in the NBA playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers, tip off the weekend when they take on the 8-seed Detroit Pistons on Friday night at Auburn Hills (7pm Eastern, ESPN).
NBA Playoffs oddsmakers at BetUS.com list the Cavaliers as 4 1/2-chalk favorites over the Pistons with a 178 total. Cleveland is a -200 favorite on the BetUS moneyline while Detroit backers are getting +165 odds as a home underdog.
Cleveland beat Detroit on Tuesday night 94-82 to take a 2-0 lead in that 1 seed vs. 8 seed Eastern Conference series. But bettors who backed the Cavaliers Tuesday, if they watched the fourth quarter, likely neared tears. After scoring the first hoop of the final quarter, Cleveland, 11.5-point chalk on the BetUS.com NBA Playoffs betting board, led by 29 points. But it only took the Pistons about five minutes after that to cut the deficit below the pointspread, to 11. And an Antonio McDyess jumper with just under four minutes to go pulled Detroit within seven. But the Cavs then made six straight free-throws, and the Pistons missed a couple of shots in the final 20 seconds that would have given them the back-door cover. Tuesday's Detroit-Cleveland game also managed to just stay under its total of 177.5.
The Pistons now need to rally at home this weekend to have any chance of extending their streak of six straight Eastern Conference Finals appearances.
Detroit and Cleveland will play Game 4 of their series Sunday afternoon (3:30 Eastern, ABC). And if the Pistons can extend the series this weekend, Game 5 will be played back in Cleveland on Wednesday.
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