Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 02/27/26

In the battle of the teams with the two best records in the NBA between the Detroit Pistons and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit got the better end of the deal. The Pistons defeated OKC 124-116. And though the Pistons were a 10.5-point favorite and failed to cover, their stock is through the roof. The market is rushing to back the Pistons now, because on paper, they are the team to beat in the NBA. This is all based on narrative, however. The optics are attractive, but the situation is far from alluring.

The Cavaliers and Pistons have a long-storied divisional rivalry. Cleveland and Detroit to keep it simple, do not like each other. It’s easy to overlook all of that, after a resounding win like the Pistons enjoyed on Wednesday. However, the Thunder were severely nicked up, so it wasn’t like the Pistons beat OKC at their peak. It’s important not to overreact. In a rivalry of this nature, the box scores, records, and previous results go out the window. Cleveland taking back a modest number here is a show of respect for the level of feuding between these two Central Division foes. The Cavs just got clipped by the Bucks in Milwaukee though, so it’s easy to write off the Cavaliers in a a step up in competition. However, they may have been looking ahead to this match. The Land has the offensive firepower to stay with the Pistons for a full four quarters and if their perimeter operations are in form, the Cavaliers can win this outright.

Cavaliers vs Pistons prediction: Cavaliers +6 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to the number