The Cleveland Cavaliers made mince meat out of the Detroit Pistons, winning 102-84 at home, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Tonight, April 21, the Cavaliers look to pound the Pistons again in Game 2 of the NBA playoffs. NBA oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have the Cavs as -11.5 point home favs over the Pistons with the over/under set at 178 points. Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons Prediction in now at Sportsbook.com
The Pistons couldn’t figure out how to stop LeBron James and they don’t have a single player who can do it, instead it’s going to take the whole team. "It's going to take more than one person to stop LeBron," Pistons guard Will Bynum said. "It's going to take all five of us. We have to do what we have to do to stop this guy." But it’s not just defense they need to fix, they must put up points as well. Tayshaun Prince had a paltry night with 4pts after making 2 of 7 from the field. Their top scorers were Rodney Stuckey with 20pts, while Richard Hamilton added 15pts and Rasheed Wallace had 13pts 9 rebounds. If they want to get past the Cavs they must force James to shoot the shots they want him to shoot. “We have to keep him out of the paint more, make him pass it to his teammates and try to make those guys make plays. I think we'll do a much better job on him." Said Curry. With Prince hurting, Curry indicated he may use either Hamilton or Stuckey to guard James and rely on others to help.
The Cavs LeBron James had a big night with 38pts after making 13 of 20 shots. He made it look easy, too easy, in the opener. Given a seam to drive, he blasted to the basket. In just under 41 minutes, he added eight rebounds, seven assists and didn't commit a turnover despite facing a defense designed for him. Mo Williams, Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas each added 12pts apiece. The Cavs completely outshot the Pistons, shooting 52.9% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arch and they made 85.2% at the free throw line. The Cavs got 36pts in the paint and had a 20pt lead at one point in the game. LeBron is surrounded with talent and when he dishes off the ball, to Ilgauskas or Mo Williams or Anderson Varejao or Delonte West, he expects the ball to go in. The Cavs made a franchise low five turnovers in game 1.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Favorite is 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
- Under is 29-7 in the last 36 meetings.
- Under is 16-5 in the last 21 meetings in Cleveland.
- Home team is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
- Pistons are 5-12 ATS in the last 17 meetings.
- Pistons are 2-6 ATS in the last 8 meetings in Cleveland.
2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons
When: Tues, April 21, 2009 7:00 PM ET
Line: Sportsbook.com
Pick: Cavs -11.5
Point-Spreads.com 2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons
The Bottom Line: There’s no stopping LeBron! Go Cavs! Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons Prediction in now at Sportsbook.com and receive a 10% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit!
