Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons Game 3 Predictions
Written April 24, 2009 by Jason Lowry
The Cleveland Cavaliers head to Detroit up 2-0, and will look to make it 3-0 when the series gets back underway Friday night. The Cavaliers dominated the Pistons 102-84 in game 1 of the series, and once again had a pretty easy go of it in game 2 winning 94-82. The Cavs actually had a 29-point lead in the 4th quarter of game 2, and thanks to sloppy play from their bench players, LeBron James had to come back into the game and make sure the Cavs didn’t blow a huge lead. James finished the game with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. A couple other Cavs had some pretty good days scoring the basketball, as Delonte West added 20 points and Mo Williams another 21 points. Other than 12 points from Zydrunas Ilgauskas the rest of the team struggled to put the ball in the hoop. For the Pistons it wasn’t so much the starters playing well, but the bench that actually helped make this game respectable. Starters Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey went for 17 and 14 respectively, but those are numbers way to low if the Pistons want to make a series of this. The Pistons got a solid 13 points from Will Bynum and 10 points from Arron Afflalo off the bench, but this team is not going to win with Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace scoring a combined 10 points. With Game 3 right around the corner, here is a look at what I think each team needs to do to win the game, plus my prediction on who comes out on top against the spread.
What the Pistons have to do to win: It’s not going to be easy for Detroit to win a single game this series, and I don’t really know if there is much this team can do to win game 3 or 4. For starters the team has to find a way to score the basketball, the Cavs are going to get their points, but they could steal a game if they shoot the leather off the basketball. They aren’t going to win with the starters playing as poorly as they did in game 2. This team got really old really fast, and it has to be hard for this team to watch the success Chauncey Billups is having in Denver in their opening round series with the Nuggets. If the Pistons are going to win game 3, they have to come into the game believing they can win, and that might be a little harder than it sounds, after the beating the Cavs starters have put on them in the first two games. I look for the Pistons to shoot the ball a little better on their home court, and maybe someone catches fire and keeps them in the game with a chance to win late. Bet the Pistons +4.5 at Sportsbook.com.
What the Cavaliers have to do to win: The Cavs will have to have a big melt down in this series if they are going to lose a game, but there is a big difference in the Cavs at home and the Cavs on the road. The Cavs have to just keep feeding LeBron James the basketball, as no player on the Pistons looks like they have a clue at stopping him. While the Cavs could win this series with James alone, they are going to struggle to win it all if their bench plays like it did in game 2. The Cavs bench got outscored 33-10 in game 2, and were a mere 1-11 from the field. I don’t expect the Cavs to jump out to a 20-point lead like they have in the first two games of the series, but I do expect them to have complete control of the game and wind up winning this one pretty easy. Bet the Cavaliers -4.5 at Sportsbook.com.
My Prediction: Cavs -4.5. I think the oddsmakers are giving a gift with the line in this one. I know that the Cavs could have a let down with the series shifting to Detroit, but its not like its that far of a trip, and this team looked light years ahead of the Pistons in the first two games. I actually like the Cavs to win this game by 10 points if not more.
For those of you looking for some NBA betting help, be sure to check out the expert NBA picks and the latest NBA odds from Betfirms.
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