Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons Prediction 5/13/2026 Today’s NBA Picks

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons collide in a pivotal Game 5 of the East Semifinals at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night. 

Detroit Pistons Betting Preview

The Detroit Pistons must have been brimming with confidence after shooting out to a 2-0 series lead after Game 2 but they failed to steal a game on the road and surrendered their lead after falling short by 112-103 in Game 4 on Monday. Caris LeVert led the team with 24 points on 10 of 16 shooting, Cade Cunningham added 19 points with six assists while Tobias Harris chipped in with 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists. As sa team, the Pistons shot 51 percent from the field and 10 of 23 from the 3-point line as they got off to a solid start and went on a 23-5 run to turn an early 11-point deficit into a seven-point lead but they came out flat in the second half and could do little to stop the Cavaliers who went on a crucial 18-0 run to run away with it. Paul Reed was impactful off the bench as he scored 15 points in just 14 minutes but Duncan Robinson and Ausar Thompson were both quiet with just four points apiece. 

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview 

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be feeling pretty good about themselves after squaring up the series with an impressive win in Game 4 on Monday. Donovan Mitchell was sensational in Game 3 and he took it to another level with a game-high 43 points on 13 of 26 shooting in Game 4, James Harden added 24 points with 11 assists while Evan Mobley racked up 17 points with eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and five blocks. As a team, the Cavaliers shot 44 percent from the field and 14 of 41 from the 3-point line as they looked to be in a real contest after squandering an early 11-point lead, but just when things were tightening up, the Cavaliers exploded for 38 points in the third quarter to take control and secure the much needed home victory. The Cavaliers had just three players finish in double figures in scoring and they got just 19 points from their bench players.

Detroit v Cleveland Free Prediction

The Pistons are keeping an eye on Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert who are both listed as questionable for Wednesday, while the Cavaliers have no injury concerns at all. The Pistons will be kicking themselves after missing out on two opportunities to steal a game on the road, but they still have home-court advantage and are in a much better position compared to the last series they played. The Cavaliers were stumbling on offense in the first two games of the series, but they were able to bounce back twice at home thanks to their dynamic backcourt of Mitchell and Harden. We should be in for another close contest, so I’m not surprised to see the line so short. The momentum is with the Cavaliers now, but they’re going to need to win a game on the road if they want to advance. You can make an argument for either side here, but the injury cloud hanging over the Pistons’ LeVert and Robinson makes things tricky for the home team. Of course the Pistons are still favorites at home, but I get the feeling that the Cavaliers steal this game despite a big night from Cunningham.

Peter Tran's Pick: Detroit -3.5