It’s Ohio vs. Michigan yet again.
The No. 4-seeded Cavaliers begin their second-round playoff matchup against the No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons with Game 1 on May 5 at Little Caesars Arena.
Both teams are coming off of Game 7 wins to survive first-round scares. The Cavs took down the No. 5 Toronto Raptors, while the Pistons beat the No. 8 Orlando Magic.
The series features a matchup of the Cavs’ current and most recent coaches, Kenny Atkinson and J.B. Bickerstaff.
Here are predictions for Game 1 of the Cavs-Pistons series from Akron Beacon Journal writers Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich:
Cavs vs Pistons Game 1 prediction
Lewis: The Cavaliers say they’re a new team since the trade deadline. By that logic, it’s also fair to say they’ve shown very little on the road to warrant much confidence to this point. Four wins in their last 15 road playoff games highlight the issues that have found the Cavs anytime they board a team flight in April or May.
That being said, there’s some validity to the idea the Cavs might have room for optimism considering they’re the healthiest they’ve been all season. And it feels like only a matter of time before Donovan Mitchell catches fire and drops 40 points in a game, but is it in Detroit or Cleveland? Pistons 110, Cavs 108
Pistons vs Cavs Game 1 prediction
Ulrich: The Cavs are 4-11 in road playoff games during the Donovan Mitchell era, and the Pistons have home-court advantage in this series because they are the Eastern Conference’s top playoff seed. The Pistons are built on toughness, aggression and defense. It’s easy to envision them throwing the first punch, especially with Game 1 in Detroit. Pistons 108, Cavs 104
The Akron Beacon Journal sports department can be contacted via email at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs vs Pistons predictions. Who wins Game 1 of NBA playoff series?
Reporting by Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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