Cade Cunningham took over late in the first round to propel the Detroit Pistons past the Magic in seven games. But life has been even harder against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
These Cade Cunningham picks do not expect the Pistons’ star to erupt in Game 5, but that is somewhat a compliment to the Cavaliers and somewhat a recognition that defense tends to rule the day the further you get in the postseason.
Make sure to also check out our complete Cavaliers vs. Pistons predictions for May 13.
Cade Cunningham prop pick
Cade Cunningham best bet: Under 9.5 assists (-130 at bet365)
Yes, Cade Cunningham has cleared this prop twice in this series through four games, but each of those successes came by just the hook, while when he fell short, he did so with just seven assists in Game 1 and six in Game 4.
There is a reason oddsmakers are juicing this Under. The Over might be the more fun bet, the one encouraged to the casual viewer, but it is also the distinctly less likely winner.
The Under is even more likely in the postseason. The pace grinds to a halt.
In the regular season, the Cleveland Cavaliers averaged 100.7 possessions per game; in the postseason, that has fallen to 95.91. The Detroit Pistons averaged 99.88 possessions per game in the regular season, now 94.82 in the postseason.
Do not be scared of Unders in the postseason; they are more likely than ever.
Cade Cunningham same-game parlay
Cade Cunningham Under 9.5 assists
Cade Cunningham Under 26.5 points
Cade Cunningham Under 2.5 threes
Do not consider this shade toward Cade Cunningham. He has played very well this postseason. But each of these props has been elevated further than they should have in this series. Do not take the bait.
The pace is only going to slow down further. Cleveland’s defense is only going to become more physical. And Cunningham is going to have to work harder on his own defensive responsibilities, too.
Cunningham has already topped out at 27 points in this series, cracking that prop just once, and he has hit three 3-pointers in a game only once. In fact, he has taken only 5.5 threes per game in this series — compared to 7.6 per game in the first round.
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