RJ Barrett finished with 24 points in Game 6, and he’s averaging 24.3 points per game overall in this series on 51% shooting. Including the final game of the regular season, Barrett has gone past this points prop number infive of his last seven outings.
With Immanuel Quickley sidelined, Barrett has attempted 19+ shots in each of his past four contests, and he can continue to hunt James Harden and Donovan Mitchell and bully his way into the paint.
SGP leg #2: Collin Murray-Boyles Over 6.5 rebounds
While Barrett is one of the keys for the Toronto Raptors offensively, Collin Murray-Boyles’ two-way impact is another big X-factor for the visitors.
CMB has grabbed at least seven rebounds in four of his last five outings, and he logged 40 minutes in Game 6 as the Raptors leaned into smaller lineups down the stretch.
He'll see a similar workload in another do-or-die scenario, which will give him enough time to clear this line.
SGP leg #3: Raptors +8
Given the Cavs’ struggles to create good looks and Harden’s history in elimination games, this line is surprisingly high.
Toronto has covered the spread in the last four games of this series, and I expect Darko Rajakovic’s young core to bounce back faster following Friday’s slugfest.
Cleveland may have the best player in this series, but Toronto's two-way play is good enough to keep it in just about every game with the Cavs. They can force Harden and Mitchell into bad shots, which will burn possessions for the home side.
Get Tom Oldfield's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Raptors vs Cavaliers predictions for Game 7.
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 06: Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks is defended by Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on April 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After an eventful first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks wrapped up with a historic beatdown on Thursday, the Knicks got to kick their feet up and enjoy an exciting Game 7 at TD Garden in Boston, where the underdog shocked the powerhouse Celtics (without Jayson Tatum) to set up an unlikely second-round clash.
It’s the No. 3 seed New York Knicks (53-29) against the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers (45-37) for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, kicking off on Monday night at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
Here’s everything you need to know about this matchup.
Season Recap
You know how the Knicks’ season has gone. After all, you’re reading this on a Knicks site, but just to sum it up.
After firing Tom Thibodeau, engaging in a long coaching search, and keying in on Mike Brown, the Knicks mostly ran back the same team, albeit with new faces Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, while drafting Mo Diawara. It was supposed to be a deeper, offensive powerhouse, and, for the most part, it was. The Knicks started 23-9 and even got some hardware along the way, beating the Spurs in the NBA Cup Final in December. Everything was coming up New York as 2025 turned into 2026.
And then everything fell apart. Starting with a New Year’s Eve collapse in San Antonio, the Knicks lost nine of their next 11 games, capped off by a terrible effort on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at MSG against the tanking Mavs. The sky was falling, we had podcasters saying he couldn’t wait to blow up this core, we had loud calls for Mike Brown’s job, the defense was abhorrently bad, and the season was in a tailspin.
Then, they mollywhopped the Nets by 54 and everything calmed down. After going from 23-9 to 25-18, the Knicks won 28 of their final 39 games, powered by the NBA’s second-best defense over the final 2.5 months of the season. They swapped the disappointing Yabusele for Jose Alvarado and finished the season strong. After struggling through three games with the feisty Hawks, they made the last three games look like varsity playing JV.
The Sixers season has been defined by the status of Joel Embiid. After a lost season in 2024-25 and a slow start, his constantly nagging knee injuries knocked him out for much of November, where the Sixers predictably struggled. The emergence of Tyrese Maxey as the franchise’s face and the tremendous rookie campaign of VJ Edgecombe could only do so much to weather the storm.
But Philly started to find their stride after Embiid seemed rejuvenated once returning in December, getting up to 30-22 in early February before shin and oblique issues, on top of load managing his knee, caused them to stumble back into the play-in as his availability waned in the second half. It didn’t help that Paul George got a 25-game suspension for PEDs.
A three-game losing streak in early April solidified their play-in fates in a tough Eastern Conference, but a pitiful Game 82 performance by the Magic allowed them to obtain home-court advantage in the 7-8 game and won them a date with Boston.
With Embiid sidelined with an appendectomy, the Sixers stole Game 2 in Boston before going home and losing Game 3. With Embiid back, the Celtics blitzed the Sixers in Game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 lead, only for the proverbial East favorites to continue to struggle at home and lose Tatum to a knee injury in Game 7, sealing their fate in the first round to a rejuvenated Sixers team.
The first meeting between the two teams, just before Christmas, saw the Sixers snap a six-game winning streak as the Knicks were coming down from the high of winning the NBA Cup a week prior. It was the second game of a back-to-back after a shorthanded Knicks team survived the undermanned Pacers in Indiana the night before.
The two teams were even through three quarters, but Philly pulled away thanks to a fantastic game by the backcourt duo of Edgecombe and Maxey, who combined for 53 points on 50% shooting and nine threes with Embiid sidelined. The mostly-healthy Knicks got 20 apiece from Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges, as well as a 21-16 masterpiece from Mitchell Robinson, but they struggled late defensively.
The next meeting was also the second game of a back-to-back during the three weeks of hell that the Knicks experienced in January. A healthy Sixers squad outmatched a Josh Hart-less Knicks team that was playing as bad defense as humanly possible, spending much of the second half down by 15+ points. After a rough first matchup, Brunson scored 31, but it didn’t matter with Embiid, Maxey, and Edgecombe all scoring at least 26 points on a combined 62.2% from the field.
After losing both games at MSG, the Knicks went on the road to Philadelphia for the third meeting after that bludgeoning of the Nets, and it marked the first game against a real team that sparked a turnaround. A 23-point turnaround in the second half had the Knicks rolling and up by 17 in the fourth quarter, but the offense completely shut down at the eight-minute mark of the fourth, allowing the Sixers to claw back.
While the Knicks hit a number of timely shots (particularly from OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet) to go up eight with 42 seconds left, an epic meltdown ensued that gave the Sixers two different chances to tie in the final ten seconds that went awry. Brunson scored 32, Anunoby scored 23, and Towns was limited to just 16 minutes as he struggled with foul trouble.
Embiid put up an efficient 38-11-5, but Maxey and Edgecombe were relatively muted as the Sixers shot just 9-for-29 from three.
The final meeting of the year was on par with the Hawks and Nets blowouts. The Knicks were without Anunoby, while the Sixers didn’t have Embiid or Paul George as the team readied for the All-Star break. It seemed like Philly left early, as the Knicks completely demolished them from buzzer-to-buzzer. This was the game in which Alvarado made eight threes in his first week as a Knick and was one of the biggest wins in franchise history.
Playoff History
(Note: Prior to 1963, the Sixers were known as the Syracuse Nationals)
Trends: Knicks since 1/20: 118.5 ORtg (6th), 108.2 DRtg (2nd), +10.3 net rating (3rd) Sixers with Joel Embiid: 27-16, 121 ORtg, 115.8 DRtg, +5.2 net rating, +7.7 On-Off
Coaching Breakdown
Mike Brown (NYK): Season with team: 1st Season as head coach: 12th Career teams coached: CLE, LAL, SAC, NYK Career record: 507-333 (.604) Career playoff record: 54-42 (.563) Best finish: 2007 Cavaliers (Finals appearance)
Mike Brown is entering the postseason as the head coach of a third different team. He’s never won a game past the Eastern Conference Finals, but he’s certainly experienced deep playoff runs as an assistant under Gregg Popovich from 2001-03 and an assistant under Steve Kerr from 2017-22, winning four championships as an assistant coach.
Brown’s philosophy is a stylistic change from former head coach Tom Thibodeau, in that he prioritizes ball movement, spacing, and a drive-and-kick to open shooters (which he calls “sprays”). He was mostly unsuccessful in increasing the Knicks’ pace, showing that the team’s slow play is rooted in the way their captain operates in the offense, rather than the scheme. His biggest success has been increasing three-point attempts, but those have slowly decreased as the season has gone on.
Defensively, Brown has been flexible in his scheme. While Thibodeau always required a true rim protector on the floor, Brown has been more willing to mix up lineups in certain areas. After starting the season with a scheme that funneled the ball towards the middle of the floor into the help, Brown switched the scheme to look to send the ball towards the sidelines after the Knicks endured a month-plus stretch of abhorrent defense, powered by other teams driving and kicking to open shooters.
Nick Nurse (PHI): Season with team: 3rd Season as head coach: 8th Career teams coached: TOR, PHI Career record: 343-293 (.539) Career playoff record: 30-23 (.566) Best finish: 2019 Raptors (NBA Champions)
Nurse served as an assistant under Dwane Casey for several years and took over after the Raptors canned the one-time Coach of the Year in 2018. In his first year as a head coach, Nurse lifted a Larry O’Brien Trophy as Kawhi Leonard’s memorable one year in Toronto. Even after losing him, he led the Raptors to a 53-19 record in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, but that would prove to be a one-off. Aside from a 48-win season in 2021-22, Nurse’s final three years in Toronto were mediocre and he was out the door in 2023.
He’s spent the last three years as the head honcho in Philly, previously coaching against the Knicks in the playoffs two years ago before surviving a lost year in 2024-25. He’s back this time playing a very thin rotation that is heavily reliant on his stars, which he’ll look to deploy over and over again. There are no stylistic oddities with Nurse, who will most frequently be seen in his spats with the referees.
Projected Rotations
Knicks: Jalen Brunson Mikal Bridges Josh Hart OG Anunoby Karl-Anthony Towns – Jose Alvarado Deuce McBride Jordan Clarkson Mitchell Robinson
Situational: Mo Diawara, Landry Shamet, Ariel Hukporti, Jeremy Sochan
Sixers: Tyrese Maxey VJ Edgecombe Kelly Oubre Jr. Paul George Joel Embiid – Justin Edwards Quentin Grimes (OAKAAK Alert) Dominick Barlow Andre Drummond
Situational: Adem Bona
Injury Report
For the Knicks, they had a few players get nicked up in their six-game series with the Hawks, but Jalen Brunson (ankle), Mitchell Robinson (ankle), and Josh Hart (back) all seemed to be in good shape by the end of Game 6 and should be good to go.
For the Sixers, it all revolves around Joel Embiid. The appendix surgery is in the past, but that knee continues to be a major issue. He banged his knee repeatedly and came up hobbled over and over again in Game 7, including a scary hyperextension in the final minute. I assume he’ll be good to go, but he’ll be one to watch all series long.
Broadcast Schedule
(The full schedule has yet to be released, this will be updated)
Game 1: Mon, May 4, 8 pm (NBC) Game 2: Wed, May 6, 7 pm (ESPN) Game 3: Fri, May 8, 7 pm (Prime Video) Game 4: Sun, May 10, 3:30 pm (ABC) Game 5*: Tues, May 12, TBD (TBD) Game 6*: Thu, May 14, TBD (TBD) Game 7*: Sun, May 17, TBD (TBD)
The Hurricanes and the Colorado Avalanche swept their first round opponents and Carolina made it five wins in a row with a victory against the Philadelphia Flyers in the teams' second round opener.
The Avalanche might have a tougher time in their second round series because the Minnesota Wild are among the best teams in the league.
Here are USA TODAY Sports' predictions for who advances to the conference finals (the Sabres series prediction will be provided once their opponent is known):
Mike Brehm: Hurricanes in 5. The Flyers are better than the Ottawa Senators, but the Hurricanes are much better than the Pittsburgh Penguins. Philadelphia will avoid a sweep, but the Hurricanes play too aggressively and too well defensively for the Flyers to get more than one win.
Jace Evans: Hurricanes in 5. The Flyers could find a way to muck things up, and goalie Dan Vladar — coming off a sterling first round — could always steal a game. But the Canes are just a cut above this Flyers squad. Too deep and too talented to bow out vs. a team that has probably overachieved.
Kevin Skiver: Hurricanes in 6. Underestimate the Flyers at your own peril. I did. Philadelphia came out and completely handled the Penguins, digging a 3-0 hole for Pittsburgh to bury itself in. But the Hurricanes are coming off a dominant showing against the Senators, rested and playing some of their best hockey. The Flyers put up a better fight, but ultimately Carolina sends Philly to a very hopeful offseason.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild
Mike Brehm: Avalanche in 7. This will be the best series of the second round and perhaps the playoffs with Minnesota's Quinn Hughes and Colorado's Cale Makar showing why they have won Norris trophies. There's tons of talent on the top lines and both teams beefed up their forward depth at the deadline. This evenly matched series might just come down to home-ice advantage in Game 7.
Jace Evans: Avalanche in 6. Let the rest vs. rust debate begin! For this series, I lean on the side of rest. Minnesota is certainly battled-hardened after dispatching the Stars, but this Colorado core is championship tested. I don't think the Avs will be caught flat-footed at the outset of this series.
Kevin Skiver: Wild in 7. The Wild are rewarded for an impressive win over a Central Division foe with … an even tougher Central Division foe. The Avs dispatched the Kings with ease, but the Wild are scorching hot right now and Quinn Hughes looks like one of the best players remaining in this postseason. Like the series before, this one is kind of a coin flip on paper. But the Wild seem to be playing with weighted coins.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Anaheim Ducks
Mike Brehm: Golden Knights in 6. The Ducks seemed to score at will against the Oilers but coach John Tortorella has the Golden Knights playing better defensively. Vegas' penalty kill is superior to Anaheim's. The Golden Knights' core is more experienced, too.
Jace Evans: Golden Knights in 6. My Western Conference champion pick came down to a battle between the Golden Knights and Oilers. I went with the Oilers. Whoops! The Ducks were flat-out better and are a fascinating team, with young high-level talent buoyed by a collection of seasoned veterans (a few holding championship rings). The Golden Knights, the 2023 champions, are plenty seasoned themselves and their big guns showed up in the first round. I think that collective keeps it rolling.
Kevin Skiver: Golden Knights in 5. Shoutout to the Ducks, who did something their Highway Series rivals have struggled with so mightily: beating the Oilers in the first round. Anaheim looked really impressive in the first round, but Vegas has completely reformed itself with John Tortorella behind the bench. Losing momentum in the playoffs seemed like a distinct possibility. But against an upstart Utah team, it seems like the Golden Knights are only picking up steam.
In a Game 7 to decide their first-round playoff series, the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers will meet Sunday night on NBC and Peacock at Rocket Arena.
History favors the home team, which has won the first six game games of the series. Toronto has never won a playoff game in Cleveland (0-10).
It's been a tight series with the Cavaliers and the Raptors notching identical scoring totals (669 points) thorugh six games. They have similar field goal and 3-point shooting percentages, and their margins are scant in rebounding (Cleveland leads 253-249) and steals (Toronto leads 54-50).
Cleveland is 6-2 in Game 7s, including 4-0 at home, and have won their past four appearances in Game 7s. This will be the second Game 7 on the road for Toronto, which is 3-3 in series finales. In their last Game 7 as the visiting team, the Raptors fell 88-87 to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 Eastern Semifinals.
The Cavaliers are seeking to advance from the first round for the third consecutive season, and the Raptors are tying to reach the Eastern Semifinals for the first time since 2020. Cleveland eliminated Toronto from the playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2016-18.
Sunday's winner of the series will face the winner of Game 7 between the Orlando Magic and the Detroit Pistons. The other Eastern Conference semifinal will be played between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, who beat the Boston Celtics 109-100 in Game 7 on Saturday.
This is the first time since the first round was expanded to best of seven in 2003 that three series in the East have gone to seven games. It's only the second time since the 2002-03 season that at least three series have gone seven games (there were five Game 7s in 2014).
See below for additional information on the Celtics-76ers game and how to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on NBC and Peacock.
Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game preview:
Hometown hero RJ Barrett made the game-winning 3-pointer Friday in a 112-110 overtime victory over Cleveland. The Canadian's shot hit the back of the rim, bounced above the backboard and then dropped through — conjuring memories of Kawhi Leonard's game-winning shot hat bounced four times on the rim in a Game 7 victory over Philadelphia in 2019 (Toronto would win the championship).
“Kawhi bounce. Kawhi bounce… I make nothing the whole fourth quarter, whole overtime," said Barrett, who had 24 points but made only 3 of 13 shots in the second half. "So for that shot to drop. Yeah.”
Scottie Barnes had a game-high 25 points and 14 assists (his playoff career high tied a Toronto playoff record). Toronto leads all playoff teams in assists per game (26.5) and was ranked third in the regular season (29.5 apg).
Toronto will be trying to overcame the inexperience of a roster with only 180 playoff games and two Game 7s (vs. 597 and 18 Game 7s for Cleveland). The Raptors might have to do it without forward Brandon Ingram. Their leading scorer during the regular season at 21.5 ppg, Ingram left Game 5 with a right heel injury and missed Game 6. His Game 7 status is uncertain.
“Forget everything that's happened so far," Barrett said. "We've got one game to decide it all. This group has been tough and resilient, and we've fought through the toughest of tasks all year long. Going to Cleveland, Game 7, is going to be a tough task, but that's what we're built for."
Cleveland's hopes largely rest on twin superstars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, who was acquired in February from the Los Angeles Clippers (for Darius Garland and a 2026 second-round pick.
This is Harden's 17th playoff appearances, and he ranks 13th all time in postseason scoring (4,021 points). His 179 playoff games is the third most without a championship behind Karl Malone (193) and John Stockton (182).
Harden, who averaging 25 points and 7 assists in the first two games of the series but has slipped to 19 ppg and 6.5 apg, is playing in his eighth Game 7 and enters with a 3-4 record.
In his ninth season, Mitchell is in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season since joining the Cavaliers but has yet to advance beyond the semifinals. He ranks seventh all time in playoff scoring average at 27.9 points per game. At home in this series, Mitchell is averaging 27 points and four assists while shooting 51.7% from the field (and 50% on 3-pointers).
"There's nothing to be deflated about," said Mitchell, who scored 39 points to lead Cleveland past Orlando in a Game 7 over Orlando in 2024. "Just got to protect home court. Now, if this was Game 7 and that happened, then (you feel) a little different. But we had an opportunity. Didn't happen. We've got to protect home court. Doesn't matter if we lost by 30. Two. Protect home court. That's all you can do.”
Said Harden: "There's no frustrations. I was frustrated for five minutes [after the game]. There's one more game, can't let it live too long. It's the playoffs, great things happen. That's why I tell the guys to never get too high or low. Focus on your job and go out there and win."
NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the First Round and 11 games in the Conference Semifinals across either NBC and Peacock, or Peacock and NBCSN. Playoff programming concludes with exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock.
Which playoff rounds will be available on Peacock?
Peacock’s NBA Playoffs coverage spans multiple rounds, including Round 1, the Conference Semifinals, and the Western Conference Finals, with coverage evolving as the postseason progresses.
Will Peacock show both Eastern and Western Conference playoff games?
Yes. During earlier rounds such as Round 1 and the Conference Semifinals, Peacock will carry a mix of Eastern and Western Conference playoff games.
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For the seventh and final time in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round, fans of the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning are waking up with one thought on their minds: can their team prevail in what has been an incredible series? There can only be one winner, and there’s never been a better example that the NHL’s playoff system is flawed. These two teams should never have met in the first round.
Tonight’s tilt will be the 202nd Game 7 in NHL history, and 118 times the home team has claimed the win, while the visitors have been victorious only 83 times, which doesn’t necessarily bode well for the Canadiens. However, Martin St-Louis’ men have been the third-best road team in the league this season, claiming 24 of their 48 wins away from the Bell Centre and two of their three wins in this series away from home.
75% of the time, the team that scored first in a Game 7 has won the game: 151 wins and only 50 losses for the team that took the lead. In this current series between the Habs and the Bolts, five times out of six, the team that scored first won the game. It has never been more important to be ready right from puck drop.
The Lightning has played 10 Game 7s in its history and has won seven times, for a .700 winning percentage. When the ultimate game has been played at home, their record is 4-1. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have featured in 24 Game 7s and have a 15-9 record, for a .625 winning percentage. On the road, their record stands at 7-6 for a .538 winning percentage. With a win, the Canadiens would tie the Boston Bruins for most Game 7 wins in league history with 16.
23 of the players involved in this series have played in at least one Game 7 before; 13 play for Tampa Bay and 10 for Montreal. Only two Canadiens’ players have featured in more than one Game 7: Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault.
Six Canadiens players featured in the team’s last Game 7 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021: Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Danault, Gallagher, Nick Suzuki, and Jake Evans. However, the player who scored the game-winning goal then, Corey Perry, now plays for the opponent.
Jakub Dobes will become the sixth Habs rookie goaltender to play a Game 7, joining an elite group formed of Carey Price, Patrick Roy, Steve Penney, Ken Dryden and Jacques Plante.
Meanwhile, Andrei Vasilevskiy, who completely shut the door on the Canadiens in Game 6, has played four Game 7s in his career and has a 2-2 record and could become just the third active goaltender, after Sergei Bobrovsky and Jake Oettinger, to record at least three wins in this kind of winner-take-all game.
Behind the bench, Jon Cooper could become the first bench boss in league history to win five Game 7s with the same franchise. The Bolts’ coach has a 4-2 record in these circumstances and could therefore break the tie he’s in with Bob Hartley, Tommy Ivan, Claude Julien and Darryl Sutter. As for Martin St-Louis, he has never been at the helm of a team in a Game 7, but he has a 6-2 record as a player and therefore knows what they are like.
According to multiple sources, Noah Dobson will play his first game in this series tonight, which brings the question of who will come out of the lineup for the Canadiens. Although Arber Xhekaj has made a couple of mistakes in Game 6, the physicality he brings to the game might give him the edge over Jayden Struble, especially since the Lightning’s players are starting to feel the pain of the physical toll of this series.
Montreal will not hold a morning skate today, but will hold a media availability around 11:00 AM. The chances of getting any lineup updates then are slim to none. Wes McCauley and Chris Rooney are set to officiate, while Scott Cherrey and Matt MacPherson will be the linemen. The game is set for 6:00 PM, and you can catch it on The Spot, HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, and CBC. Should the Canadiens come out on top, they would take on the Buffalo Sabres in the second round, with the series kicking off on Wednesday at 7:00 PM at the KeyBank Center.
Buckle up, Habs fans, you should be in for quite a ride.
RJ Barrett received one of the friendlier bounces you'll see from a rim and nailed the game-winner versus the Cavaliers in Game 6. The win for Toronto tied up the series 3-3 with a Game 7 in Cleveland. The home team is 6-0 in this series entering the final battle. The winner of this series will face the winner of Orlando or Detroit.
Cleveland continued its struggles on the road with a 27% three-point outing in Toronto and 70% from the free-throw line. At home, Cleveland has averaged 43.5% mark from three, which leads the playoff field. Five different Cavaliers scored 10 or more points with Evan Mobley leading the way at 26 points.
Toronto had a chance to win at the buzzer in regulation, but couldn't deliver until OT. Barrett's three-pointer will be an iconic shot in Toronto, especially if they win this series. The Raptors had four different players score at least 17 points and three at 24 or more (Barrett, Barnes, Walter). They will need that balanced scoring in Cleveland if they want to win the series Sunday night.
Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Raptors vs. Cavaliers
Date: Sunday, May 3, 2026
Time: 7:40 PM EST
Site: Rocket Arena
City: Cleveland, OH
Network/Streaming: NBC / Peacock
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Game Odds: Cavaliers vs. Raptors
The latest odds as of Sunday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Cleveland Cavaliers (-298), Toronto Raptors (+240)
Spread: Cavaliers -7.5
Total: 211.5 points
This game spread opened with Cleveland favored by 8.5 points and the Game Total set at 212.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Cavaliers vs. Raptors
Toronto Raptors
PG Ja’Kobe Walter
SG Brandon Ingram
SF RJ Barrett
PF Scottie Barnes
C Jakob Poeltl
Cleveland Cavaliers
PG James Harden
SG Donovan Mitchell
SF Dean Wade
PF Evan Mobley
C Jarrett Allen
Injury Report: Raptors vs. Cavaliers
Toronto Raptors
Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) has been declared OUT of for the remainder of the first round series
Brandon Ingram (heel) is listed as QUESTIONABLE
Cleveland Cavaliers
None
Important stats, trends and insights: Raptors vs. Cavaliers
Cleveland is the worst in the NBA ATS at 35-53
Cleveland is 18-26 ATS as the home team, ranking second-worst
Cleveland is 44-44 to the Under
Cleveland is 25-19 to the Under as the home team
Toronto is 52-36 to the Under, ranking third-best
Toronto is 28-16 to the Under as the road team, ranking second-best
Toronto is 46-42 ATS and 22-22 ATS on the road
Toronto is 12-13 ATS as a road underdog and 9-16 on the ML
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Sunday’s Raptors and Cavaliers’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning toward a play on the Cavaliers Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Rapttors +8.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 211.5
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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 01: Ronny Mauricio #0 of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 01, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets lost another player to injury in last night’s extra-innings loss to the Angels. While sliding into first base in the sixth inning, Ronny Mauricio appeared to jam his left thumb on the base, fracturing it and being placed on the Injured List. He ran the bases for the rest of the inning but then left the game in the bottom of the inning.
Mauricio has been playing shortstop in Francisco Lindor’s stead, as Lindor hit the Injured List on April 23rd with a left calf strain. The Mets also have Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr, Kodai Senga, and Jared Young currently on the IL.
The Mets are in a bind as for what to do about shortstop until Lindor or Mauricio returns. While Bo Bichette, currently their third baseman, played shortstop for most of his career, his defensive abilities there were never elite, and over time they have eroded further. However, with a lineup that is already struggling to hit, calling up one of the players currently manning shortstop for Triple-A Syracuse for regular playing time—Vidal Bruján or Jackson Cluff—doesn’t inspire much offensive confidence. One of them will most likely join the team as a bench/backup option.
If Bichette is playing short, Brett Baty will likely get most of the third base reps. The Mets’ infield would likely be comprised of Baty at third, Bichette at short, Marcus Semien at second, and Mark Vientos at first. Insert your ‘run prevention’ joke here.
The San Diego Padres have reached an agreement to sell control of the team to an investor group led by Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano.
The family of late owner Peter Seidler formally announced the deal Saturday. The sale must still be approved by Major League Baseball.
The deal with private equity billionaire Feliciano and his wife took shape last month at an MLB-record valuation of $3.9 billion. The Padres’ announcement of the deal didn’t give specifics on the members of the investor group or the purchase price.
“The Padres are more than a baseball team; they are a unifying force in San Diego, rooted in community, connection and belonging,” Jones and Feliciano said in a joint statement. “As life and business partners, and as a family, we are honored to lead this next chapter together. We have worked hard for everything we have achieved, and we have built it together. We see that same spirit in this team and its fans, and we know what it takes to win. We are committed to showing up, listening and earning the trust of this community while building on the strong foundation established by the Seidler family.
“This is about more than baseball — it’s about boosting the pride, energy, and connection that define the Padres, investing in community, deepening belonging and ensuring this team remains accessible and endures for generations. We are all in — with the goal of bringing a World Series championship to San Diego.”
Seidler’s family began to explore a sale of the Padres last November, two years after the death of the popular Peter Seidler, who became the Padres’ primary owner in 2020. His brother, John Seidler, has served as the Padres’ chairman since his death.
“When I became control person, my goal was to continue building on our recent success in pursuit of a World Series championship for the city of San Diego and our faithful fans,” John Seidler said in a statement. “As I pass the baton to Kwanza and José, I do so with full confidence that they share that vision as well as the Padres’ deep commitment to San Diego. It’s what the team, our fans and the community deserve. Our family loves this team.”
Peter Seidler joined the Padres’ ownership group in 2012 when John Moores sold the team for $800 million to a group headed by Ron Fowler. Seidler took over and immediately endeared himself to San Diego’s fans with his aggressive financial backing of general manager A.J. Preller, who built a team that has reached the playoffs in four of the past six years.
The Padres have been a hot ticket for several years as San Diego’s only team in the four biggest North American sports leagues, ranking second in the majors in attendance last season. Preller’s roster is off to another strong start this season, sitting second in the NL West at 19-12 heading into a home game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.
Jones and Feliciano already got a start on their new endeavor last month when they traveled to Mexico City to watch the Padres’ international series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The couple was spotted sitting with Padres CEO Erik Greupner.
Feliciano will become the second Latino owner in baseball, joining Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno. Latino and Hispanic players comprise roughly 30% of major league rosters.
The Detroit Pistons rallied from down 24 points in Game 6 at Orlando to win, 93-79. Detroit outscored Orlando, 31-8, in the fourth quarter after trailing by 22 at halftime. The series is tied up 3-3 and Game 7 is at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Orlando missed 23 consecutive shots from the field in the loss and completely fumbled down the stretch. The Magic became the first team since 1996-97 to blow a 24-plus point lead in a closeout game at home. Detroit went on a 35-5 run in the second half and simply couldn't be stopped.
Cade Cunningham scored 32 points and Tobias Harris added 22 points. The rest of the Pistons combined for 39 points (bench scored 13) on 15-of-35 from the field (42.8%) and 5-of-15 from three (33.3%). Detroit shot 40% from the field as a team and 33% from three compared to Orlando who went 35% from the field and 25% from deep in Game 6.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Magic vs. Pistons
Date: Sunday, May 3, 2026
Time: 3:40 PM EST
Site: Little Caesars Arena
City: Detroit, MI
Network/Streaming: ABC
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Game Odds: Magic vs. Pistons
The latest odds as of Sunday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Detroit Pistons (-325), Orlando Magic (+260)
Spread: Pistons -8.5
Total: 202.5 points
This game opened Pistons -9.5 with the Total set at 205.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Magic vs. Pistons
Orlando Magic
PG Jalen Suggs
SG Desmond Bane
SF Franz Wagner
PF Paolo Banchero
C Wendell Carter Jr.
Detroit Pistons
PG Cade Cunningham
SG Duncan Robinson
SF Ausar Thompson
PF Tobias Harris
C Jalen Duren
Injury Report: Pistons vs. Magic
Orlando Magic
Jonathan Issac (knee) is listed as DOUBTFUL for Game 7
Detroit Pistons
Kevin Huerter (hip) is listed as QUESTIONABLE for Game 7
Important stats, trends and insights: Pistons vs. Magic
Detroit is 46-42 ATS
Detroit is 47-40-1 to the Under
Detroit is 23-20 to the Under at home
Detroit is 20-18 to the Under as a home favorite
Detroit is 22-21 ATS as the home team
Orlando is 43-46 ATS and 46-44 to the Over this season
Orlando is 20-23 ATS as the road team and 12-12 ATS as the road underdog
Orlando is 23-20 to the Under as the road team
Orlando is 12-12 on the total as a road underdog
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Sunday’s Magic and Pistons’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Pistons’ Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Magic +8.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 202.5
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We waited all year for this 76ers team to show up. We knew it was possible, we just kept wondering if it would really happen.
It took the 76ers 86 games to figure it out – 82 regular-season games and the first four games of the Celtics series – but they figured it out at the last possible moment.
How to defend at a consistently high level against an explosive offense for 48 minutes. And how to do it three games in a row, two of them on the road, when a loss ends your season.
This was one of the most remarkable, improbable, incredible three-game stretches in 76ers history. And it happened because they stifled the Celtics’ offense like very few teams ever have.
The first 86 games of the season, the 76ers allowed 116 points per game and they allowed opposing teams to shoot 47 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3. Middle of the pack across the board.
Those are not championship numbers. Those are not numbers that scare a team like the Celtics, who averaged 115 points per game during the regular season and made 37 percent of their 3’s.
But once Joel Embiid returned, an amazing thing happened.
The 76ers turned into a defensive force, and there was nothing the Celtics – with all their offensive weapons – could do about it.
Embiid’s first game back was Game 4 and that was another Celtics blowout, the one that put the 76ers in a 3 games to 1 hole.
But these last three games were a model in how defending at a high level can propel an underdog No. 7 seed that hadn’t won three straight road games against playoff-bound teams since 2023 past a No. 2 seed that never loses at home.
This is a Celtics team that averaged 115 points per game, shot 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3, and the last games they averaged 97 points, shot 41 percent from the field and 28 percent from 3.
Ballgame.
The 76ers really wore the Celtics down these last three games, and by the fourth quarter the Celtics couldn’t get good shots, forced 3 after 3 and just got run off the court in the final minutes.
In these last three fourth quarters, the Celtics shot 33 percent from the field and 19 percent from 3. The Celtics are built on burying 3’s. They made 1,268 during the regular season, 9th-most in NBA history, and they shot 37 percent, tied for 5th-highest in the league this year.
But when they needed them the most, the 76ers kept denying them. They kept bombing away and missing and it turned out when the 3’s weren’t falling they didn’t have an answer.
The Celtics attempted 323 3’s in this series, 2nd-most ever in any postseason series, behind the Rockets’ 357 in their 2020 Western Conference First-Round series win over Oklahoma City.
You only take that many 3’s when you can’t do anything else.
Most of those 3’s were contested but they also missed a lot of open looks (I’m looking at you Derrick White) just because the 76ers had them so beat up by the end of the game thanks to a physicality and intensity we rarely saw in the regular season.
And you know what happens when one team keeps missing 3’s. Long rebounds and fast breaks, and that’s how the 76ers outscored Boston by an average of 55-41 in the fourth quarter of these last three wins.
The Celtics never went three games in a row scoring 100 or fewer points during the regular season and they actually haven’t done that in the regular season since 2021. Then the 76ers held them to 93, 90 and 100 in three straight elimination playoff games.
The 76ers’ neutralized the Celtics’ two studs, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, late in the series. Tatum missed Game 7 but shot 43.8 percent and 33 percent from 3 from the field in Games 5 and 6 and was minus-20, and Brown shot 42 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3 the last three games with a minus-57, the worst plus-minus of his 10-year career over any three-game span.
Last time the Celtics had a three-game stretch in the regular season scoring fewer than 300 points and shooting below 41 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3 was 2021.
So this was the Celtics’ worst three-game offensive stretch in five years, and it came at the hands of a 76ers team that was mediocre defensively during the regular season and needed to win a play-in game just to reach the postseason.
Nick Nurse preached defense all year, but with injuries and the Paul George suspension, he just never had the people to play the brand of defense he wanted. It took 86 games and Embiid returning to action 2 ½ weeks after an appendetomy for it all to come together.
But when it did, it was beautiful.
The 76ers won this series by denying the Celtics what they do best when they needed it the most.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach Ime Udoka and General Manager Rafael Stone of the Houston Rockets speaks with the media during the NBA Media Day at Toyota Center on September 29, 2025 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If reports are to be believed, the Houston Rockets have already made a decision on one of the biggest questions of the offseason. According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, the Rockets have “no plans” to move on from either Ime Udoka or Rafael Stone.
“Everybody’s disappointed”
On the peculiar past, present and future prognosis of the Houston Rockets — a team oscillating between development and contention — and an organization that needs clarity, cohesion and creativity. https://t.co/UtNJ5dIQPD
“At this juncture, there are no plans to move on from either Udoka or general manager Rafael Stone. Ownership has remained steadfast in its belief in a three-pronged leadership sector because of a combination of the turnaround in recent years and consecutive 50-win seasons, the latter of which was marked by major injuries, resulting in confidence from the top down.
“One of the prevailing internal beliefs concerning this roster is assuming that Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams are healthy, along with Durant, the Rockets aren’t too far removed from Western Conference powers Oklahoma City and San Antonio.”
So there you have it, folks. It’s sounding like the coach and GM are staying. I’m not ready to give up on Rafael Stone just yet, but Udoka is trying my patience — like he is for many Rockets fans. It would be nice to see Udoka welcome an offensive coordinator, but I wonder if he’s too much of a control freak for that to be sucessful.
That leaves any potential Rockets changes to come via the lineup, and my biggest fear is sounding like it might also be close to coming true — that the Rockets make no roster changes and simply run it back with Adams and FVV and keep their fingers crossed.
The team needs more ball handling and shooting and less forwards, and I don’t think that’s a secret to anyone. They also need another big, since Clint Capela isn’t used much by Udoka. I’d personally love to see the Rockets trade Durant. With KD not getting any younger, how many years does he have left at this level? One? Two? I think the one thing we learned this year is that the Rockets are more than one or two years away. For this reason alone, I’d like to see the Rockets move KD for assets that allow the Rockets to retool in a sort of soft rebuild. That’s to say nothing of the KD burner incident that compromised another locker room, especially since it’s essentially been released that it was all true.
While we wait on roster changes, however, get ready for more Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka. It appears that they’re not going anywhere.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 11: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket against Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Target Center on January 11, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ah, yes, it’s the Spurs-Wolves second-round clash that everyone anticipated! No one around here penciled in a Spurs-Nuggets tilt, and there’s also no evidence of yours truly crashing out following San Antonio’s final regular-season loss to Denver.
Now that we have our matchup set, it’s time to dive into some stylistic battles that could take place. Given the small sample size of the first round, the stats used will come from the regular season, and Minnesota’s numbers will reflect data from lineups without Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards — although the latter could come back later in the series.
Let’s start with the Wolves’ shot diet.
Minnesota’s shot chart
The Wolves take 36.3% of their shots at the rim (top 5 league-wide) while converting on just 64.5% of those attempts (bottom5). It goes without saying that Wemby will make their lives much tougher, as opponents are shooting just 60.8% in that area with him playing. More importantly, only 26.2% of attempts are at the rim when Wemby’s on, and the Alien’s presence will force Minnesota to shoot from farther out.
Assuming Wemby camps in the paint due to Gobert’s lacklustre offensive game, the Wolves will focus on pull-up 3s and long 2s. Some of their guards caught fire in round 1, but the full-season stats indicate that Minnesota is a below-average shooting team from every area of the floor except above-the-break 3s, and even that came on extremely low volume. The Wolves will need to find other sources of offense if their shooting reverts to the norm, and one potential solution is to crash the boards.
Offensive rebounding
The biggest matchup advantage Minnesota has over San Antonio is their size at the forward positions. None of the Spurs’ forwards can match up physically against Julius Randle and Naz Reid, which could allow the Wolves to fatten up on the offensive glass. Still, that is easier said than done, as the Wolves’ 28.6% OREB is decidedly average, while the Spurs’ 74.1% DREB ranked first league-wide.
If they decide to go down this route, Minnesota will need to be comfortable taking shots deeper in the paint to force Wemby to commit, leaving the backline more exposed. Even so, there’s a good chance that the Alien will either block the shot or recover fast enough to grab the rebound. The Wolves might be forced to play lineups featuring all of McDaniels, Reid, Randle, and Gobert — a quartet that saw minutes in the Denver series but only logged 71 possessions together in the regular season.
Transition opportunities
If the Wolves prioritize the offensive glass, then they’ll be giving the Spurs easier opportunities to run. Minnesota would be playing into a strength of San Antonio’s, as they rank 6th and 8th, respectively, in transition frequency and points per play. On the other hand, the Wolves could decide that the defensive tradeoff is not worth the potential offensive gain, and they could go big to prioritize defensive boards instead. Minnesota increased their DREB from 66.7% in the regular season (9th percentile) to 79.2% in round 1 against Denver (95th), and they’ll prevent the Spurs from getting easy second-chance points if this continues.
The Wolves could push the pace themselves if defensive rebounding remains a priority. They ranked 6th in transition points per play in the regular season, and both teams were top 10 in preventing opposing transition opportunities too. Fast break points are clearly an emphasis for both teams, and the winner in that category could be determined by the size of Minnesota’s lineups and which side of the rebounding battle they prioritize.
Pace
This one is very simple: both teams are better when they play fast. Minnesota and San Antonio ranked 10th and 12th, respectively, in pace in the regular season, and are now tied for 1st and 3rd in the playoffs. The Wolves were able to take Denver out of rhythm by speeding them up, but doing so against the Spurs would only benefit the black and silver.
For San Antonio, Stephon Castle specifically needs to play with speed and purpose. Portland cut the Spurs’ large lead down to single digits in game five of round 1 because Castle started walking the ball up without getting into any action until the shot clock almost expired. However, San Antonio’s offense is almost impossible to stop when he’s running handoffs and attacking closeouts, which is how the Spurs built their lead.
When Gobert’s been played off the floor in the past, it was always due to issues with his offense, not defense. That problem could rear its ugly head again in this series if his lack of a post game and shooting allows Wemby to camp in the paint, allowing the latter to shut off Minnesota’s drives and rim attempts. Given the ability of the Spurs’ guards to fight through screens and defend, Gobert won’t be able to make as big an impact as a screener either, which could render him close to a zero on offense.
Defensively, Gobert’s matchup with Wemby will be the polar opposite of the one he had against Jokic. Wemby’s lob threat as a roll man and his ability to come off screens will force Gobert to guard in space, which is why I expect him to be assigned to Castle instead. Similar to what Portland did, Gobert can sag off the second-year guard (who quietly hit over 40% from three on five attempts a game against the Blazers) and stay in the paint, while physical forwards like Randle and Reid match up with Wemby instead. The Spurs found counters to this strategy by running hand-offs with Castle (as was shown above), but that might be the lesser of all evils given the offensive versatility that San Antonio has.
Another wrinkle in the Gobert-Wemby matchup is the number of corner threes the Spurs generate. In the regular season, Wemby’s roll gravity helped San Antonio take 13.8% of their shots from the corners when he played, which was one of the highest recorded numbers ever. However, the Wolves are elite at preventing shots from the corners, conceding just 8.6% of such attempts to their opponents, which was one of the five lowest marks league-wide. If Gobert can guard the paint alone, the other Wolves players can focus on playing man defense and prevent open looks instead of worrying about packing the paint to stop lobs to Wemby.
May 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images
Dodgers fans have received more of the same experience they had last year with Roki Sasaki to begin this season, but there are some signs of growth that are starting to appear.
Sasaki has shown flashes of dominance early in games, as characterized by his 0.75 ERA over the first two innings of his six starts, but the wheels fall completely off once the third inning begins, illustrated by an ugly 9.72 ERA over innings 3 and beyond. It hasn’t helped that he is currently tied for the fifth most home runs allowed by qualified pitchers this year.
Over the last three starts, Sasaki has quietly been more effective on the mound. After walking 10 batters over his first 13 innings on the year, he has walked only five through his last 15 2/3 innings. On Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sasaki showed that he could bounce back after a rough inning by setting down his final 10 hitters in a row, managing six full innings for the first time while tossing a career-high 104 pitches.
Sasaki spoke about his ability to overcome the three-run third and deliver positive results through the middle innings on Saturday, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“After giving up three runs in the third inning, I was able to just stay focused and attack the zone, especially (the fifth and sixth) innings. So that’s good,” Sasaki said through his interpreter.
“The third and fourth innings, I was kind of struggling. I was trying to find my mechanics. But after that … I was able to make an adjustment. I got better mechanics.”
Dave Roberts spoke about Sasaki’s growth as a major league starter following Saturday’s loss to St. Louis, noting that there are hurdles that have yet to be overcome, per Plunkett.
“Each of his last handful of starts, he’s gotten better,” Roberts said. “But there’s some finishing school that needs to happen, where you’ve got to get the guys out that you need to get out and try to face less hitters.”
Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times notes that Mark Prior has worked with Sasaki on developing a new splitter that’s around six miles per hour faster than his ordinary splitter, and that has been a key reason for his recent effectiveness.
“We’re always supportive of crisper, harder, however you want to define it, assuming that it maintained his throw and maintained everything else,” Prior said of the new splitter… “Lo and behold, the first one was really good,” Prior said. “The second one was really nasty.”
The Dodgers offensively are in the midst of a dormant five-game stretch where they have totaled just 12 runs as a team, and they were nearly shut out on Saturday had it not been for a two-run, two-out rally in the top of the ninth where they had the potential tying and go-ahead runners on base.
Andy Pages— who added to the rally with an RBI single to make it a one-run Dodgers deficit— noted that the rally might have lit a spark within this struggling offense, but the importance is maintaining good at-bats top through bottom, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
“It was a good offensive sign in the ninth inning,” Andy Pages said through interpreter Juan Dorado. “But I think as a whole, we know we’re going through a bad stretch, and we’re just trying to focus on having really good at-bats, one at a time.”
Facing against an old friend on Sunday in Dustin May, who carries a 5.28 over his first six starts as a Cardinal, Dave Roberts hopes that the Dodgers bats can wake up and salvage the series against a pitcher they’re quite familiar with, per Chen.
“Hopefully,” Roberts said, “we can take that sense of urgency tomorrow against a guy that we’re very familiar with.”
SGP leg #1: Cade Cunningham Over 44.5 points + rebounds + assists
In the playoffs, Cade Cunningham ranks second in points per game, first in field goal attempts, third in free throw attempts, and fourth in minutes.
His 23 field goal attempts are up from 18.6 in the regular season. His free throws have increased from six per game to 10.7, and his minutes have shot up from 33.9 to 40.5.
Cunningham leads all players in postseason usage at 35.3%. The Detroit Pistons go as far as Cade takes them, and the team will need him to stuff the stat sheet in order to complete the series comeback and avoid an upset by the No. 8 seed.
SGP leg #2: Pistons -9
The Orlando Magic have outplayed the Pistons for most of the series, but the psychological aspect of competition comes into play here.
The Magic were up 22 points at halftime in front of the home crowd before suffering a historic meltdown, blowing their chances to complete the upset and advance to the second round.
The Pistons were clearly feeling themselves at the end of Game 6, and they’ve got swagger and momentum to go with home-court advantage. Orlando has got to be reeling, and I’ll bet on Detroit to win this one by double digits.
SGP leg #3: Under 203
Scoring has come at a major premium in this series, and the game total Under has hit in four of six matchups. The game total has gone Under 203.5 in three of six, including two of the last three.
Both teams failed to record 100 points three times in the series, and I’ll take the Under in what should be a gritty, physical dogfight, 2004-style.
Get Zak Hanshew's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Magic vs Pistons predictions for Game 7.
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Kurt Helin
