Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons Game 5 Preview, Picks & Odds for Wednesday, May 13, 2026

By Braxton Reynolds | May 12, 2026, 7:22pm

Game 5 between the Cleveland Cavaliers (2-2) and Detroit Pistons (2-2) is set for 8 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. After back-to-back wins, the Cavaliers are now 6-0 at home this postseason with an 8.6 net rating. Can they win a pivotal Game 5 on the road?

Cavaliers vs. Pistons Betting Analysis

Detroit entered halftime of Game 4 with a 56-52 lead. Tobias Harris and Caris LeVert had scored a combined 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting from the field, while Cade Cunningham was at five assists compared to one turnover. The Pistons were feeling good. In the blink of an eye, Cleveland ripped off a 22-0 run to start the second half, and Detroit never managed to claw back into the game.

Donovan Mitchell was responsible for 15 of the Cavaliers’ 22 points during this decisive stretch, and he wound up scoring 39 points in the second half. Mitchell took advantage of the fact that Ausar Thompson was not defending him, as the rest of the Pistons looked too slow to contain Mitchell.

James Harden also had 24 points, 11 assists, four stocks, and only two turnovers. It’s the second-straight game that Harden has kept his turnovers under control and hit triples. Cleveland’s offense blossoms when the 11x All-Star checks both of these boxes.

Meanwhile, it’s the same old problems for the Pistons. They have a 119.5 offensive rating and 11.9 rating with Cade Cunningham on the court in this series but crumble when he rests. It was a known issue entering the playoffs, but Jalen Duren’s vanishing act exacerbated it. He’s averaging 10.2 points per game on 54.5% true shooting through 11 playoff games. That’s not an irrelevant sample anymore.

The best bet for Game 5 is taking Jalen Duren to score at maximum of 12 points. The Cavaliers are taking away his spoonfed rolls to the basket, and Duren is struggling mightily to create his own shots. He has simply been a non-factor on offense. Overall, Duren has gone under 12.5 points in 10 of 11 games this postseason.

Cavaliers vs. Pistons Best Bet, Pick & Prediction

Best Bet: Jalen Duren U12.5 Points (-118)
Score Prediction: Pistons 104, Cavaliers 102

Cavaliers vs. Pistons Game Odds

Cavaliers vs. Pistons Game Information

Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Venue: Little Caesars Arena – 224.3 ppg; 22-24 O/U
Series Score: Tied 2-2

Cavaliers vs. Pistons Betting Resources

Cavaliers vs. Pistons Key Players

Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell – Last Game: 43 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
James Harden – Last Game: 24 points, 0 rebounds, 11 assists
Evan Mobley – Last Game: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

Pistons

Cade Cunningham – Last Game: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists
Jalen Duren – Last Game: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Tobias Harris – Last Game: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

Braxton Reynolds

Braxton has been covering the NBA for Lineups since the 2022 season. He's worked with multiple collegiate coaching staffs regarding analytics and scouting, which has allowed him to understand the game on a deeper level. Braxton also currently writes about the Oklahoma City Thunder for Thunder Roundtable.