Pistons vs. Magic Opening Odds for Game 6 (Detroit Set as Small Favorite to Force Game 7)

Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons aren’t ready to go home just yet.

The No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference kept its season alive in Game 5 on Wednesday night, riding a 45-point game from Cunningham to a win over the Orlando Magic. Cunningham played nearly the entire game (44 minutes), helping the Pistons force Game 6 in Orlando on Friday night.

Oddsmakers have set Detroit as a favorite in the opening odds, and it’s possible the Magic will be without Franz Wagner (calf) for the second game in a row.

Orlando jumped out to a 3-1 series lead in this matchup, winning both games at home. Still, it is an underdog at home for the third time in this series, this time by 3.5 points after it was a 2.5-point dog in both Games 3 and 4.

Wagner’s injury certainly makes it tougher for the Magic to advance, but are they undervalued against this Pistons team that has struggled to find offense outside of Cunningham?

Let’s take a look at the opening odds for Game 6 and some things to watch for in this matchup.

Pistons vs. Magic Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Pistons -3.5 (-110)
Magic +3.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Pistons: -162
Magic: +136

Total

211.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Orlando has been an underdog in every game in this series, covering the spread in four of the five games, including the Game 5 loss on Wednesday.

Three of the games in this series have finished with OVER 211.5 points, as Detroit bounced back from an 88-point showing in Game 4 to put up 116 points in the Game 5 win. Still, these teams have been two of the worst offenses in the playoffs, ranking 15th (Orlando) and 14th (Detroit) amongst 16 playoff teams in offensive rating.

Pistons vs. Magic Game 6 Preview

Can the Pistons become one of the few teams that have come back from a 3-1 series deficit? It’s only happened 13 times in NBA history, and the Denver Nuggets (twice in 2020) are the last team to complete the feat.

The story of this series has been the lack of offensive options for the Pistons after Cunningham, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Pistons’ role players can make an impact on the road.

Detroit struggled on offense in both Games 3 and 4, but Tobias Harris (23 points in Game 5) and Duncan Robinson (3-for-6 from 3 in Game 5) came through on Wednesday to extend this series.

Harris is a massive X-Factor in this series, especially now that Wagner is banged up. Orlando doesn’t have as much size on the wing without him, and Harris was aggressive from the jump in Game 5.

During the regular season, the Magic were 20-14 with Wagner in the lineup and just 25-23 when he was out. The star forward has been an impact player in this series, averaging 16.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3.

There are a few key trends to watch in this game as well. Orlando is 9-4 against the spread as a home underdog while the Pistons are just 13-20 against the spread as road favorites after losing outright in Games 3 and 4.

Both teams have turned in clunkers on offense in this series, and they rank in the bottom five in effective field goal percentage and offensive rating. After Cunningham’s heroic performance to win Game 5, the Pistons are going to need more of the same to make up for their lack of shot creation in Game 6.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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