Best bet: Magic will take down the top-seeded Pistons in Orlando

We’ve reached 1 of the champion days of the week. Work winds down, we get to spell home, ace unfastened a acold 1 and scope for the remote. Tonight, my TV volition beryllium locked connected 3 antithetic NBA games that volition each beryllium closeout games.

There are 2 Eastern Conference matchups and 1 Western Conference battle. It starts with the Pistons looking to unit Game 7 successful Detroit.

Detroit Pistons defender Cade Cunningham dribbles the shot portion Indiana Pacers defender Ethan Thompson defends during the 2nd fractional astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis, Ind., connected April 12, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

The Pistons won the astir games successful the Eastern Conference this season. While that is simply a fact, they haven’t truly looked similar a dominating squad successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs. That isn’t to accidental that Detroit has been terrible, but they bash look similar immoderate of the flaws that didn’t wounded them playing a squad erstwhile and moving on, person been exposed successful a seven-game set.

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They are down, but they aren’t retired yet, and if they triumph tonight, they get to bring the bid backmost to Detroit for a decisive Game 7.

I bash consciousness similar we request to instrumentality a infinitesimal to admit conscionable however bully Cade Cunningham has been successful this series. He was drafted archetypal wide successful the 2021 draft, truthful it isn’t similar anyone should beryllium shocked that helium is bully astatine basketball.

Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic dribbles the shot against the Detroit Pistons during the 4th fourth astatine Kia Center successful Orlando, Fla., connected April 6, 2026. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)

His archetypal twelvemonth successful the league was decent, astir apt astir successful enactment with a No. 1 pick. His 2nd twelvemonth was derailed by injury. In twelvemonth three, determination were inactive injuries, and the squad was a disaster. Last year, helium took a large leap and scored 26.1 points per game. His Pistons squad was fearless against the Knicks. This year, helium led them to 60 wins and has averaged 32.6 points per crippled successful the playoffs.

This is not the archetypal clip that an eighth effect has a accidental to upset the archetypal seed.  The Magic are connected the verge of adding their sanction to the database of teams to execute the feat. They lone request to triumph 1 of the adjacent 2 games successful bid to bash it.

Technically, they volition person had 3 chances to adjacent retired the series. The large contented with the Magic is that the squad relies connected everyone being available. It sounds evident that if you suffer 1 of your champion players, similar Franz Wagner, you’re going to struggle. But, the Magic are built astir Wagern’s isolation, physicality and wide quality of Paolo Banchero, shooting from Desmond Bane and defence from Wendell Carter Jr. and Jalen Suggs.

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If you region 1 of those players, the squad surely suffers. All teams would if you removed their second-best player, but Wagner being absent hurts rather a bit.

I expect him to beryllium retired successful this game, and if helium does go, I would beryllium skeptical to spot him play arsenic overmuch oregon with his mean level of production. He had 19 points successful 24 minutes earlier helium was done for the crippled successful Game 4. The bully quality for Orlando is that this 1 is astatine home, truthful the relation players whitethorn measurement up a bit.

Detroit Pistons defender Cade Cunningham celebrates during the archetypal fractional of an NBA crippled against the Indiana Pacers successful Indianapolis connected Nov. 24, 2025. (Michael Conroy/AP)

In Game 5, the Pistons took vantage of Wagner’s absence. Banchero was great, putting up 45 points, but Cunningham matched that output and was much efficient. Jamal Cain, who looked astonishing successful Game 5, started for the Magic, but helium played conscionable 25 minutes. Anthony Black got astir 40 minutes and was decent successful his role.

The Pistons inactive lone bushed the Magic by 7 points successful that game. Orlando outscored the Pistons successful 2 of the 4 quarters, and extracurricular a atrocious archetypal quarter, the Magic looked similar the amended team.

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I’m a spot amazed the Pistons are favored. The Magic person looked bully astatine location and haven’t mislaid yet. Both teams are filled with relation players and a superstar. The occupation is, relation players aren’t bully connected the road. Give maine the Magic to cover, and I volition sprinkle the moneyline arsenic I deliberation they triumph connected their location floor.

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