The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and the competition has been tight with several series going to a deciding Game 7. Two of those matchups are the Raptors versus the Cavaliers and the Magic versus the Pistons. I will examine and make picks for both of these winner-take-all games.
Toronto Raptors versus Cleveland Cavaliers
After a quick 2-0 start to the series, the Cavaliers have lost three of the last four, which leads to the deciding 7th game. Toronto is “average” versus “average down” on the Team Strength Oscillator, and Cleveland is +20 to +19 on the Power Ranks Indicator. The Cavaliers are an 8.5-point favorite with odds of 1.319 to 3.810 with an over/under of 212.5. According to the ZCode model, the Cavaliers have a 79 percent chance of winning, and despite the last two games going “over” the line, betting “under” in this one is a 5-star pick at 94 percent. Cleveland was 27-14 at home during the regular season, and Toronto was 22-19 on the road. The Cavaliers also had a slight scoring differential edge of +4.1 to +2.8. Toronto won all three games between the teams during the regular season, but the playoffs are a whole new ball game. I like the Cavaliers to win the series at home, but the Raptors will cover, in a game “under” the line.
Orlando Magic versus Detroit Pistons
The 8th-seeded Magic had the Pistons on the ropes after winning three of the first four games in the series. The Pistons won the last two for the deciding 7th game at home. They are an 8.5-point favorite with odds of 1.313 to 3.860 with an over/under of 203.5. The teams have been trending in games “under” the line, but “over” is a 3-star pick at 59 percent. The Pistons are “burning hot” versus “average down” on the Team Strength Oscillator and +28 to +17 on the Power Ranks Indicator. Detroit is a 5-star game winner picks, and 5 star-home favorites with “burning hot” status are 12-7 over the last 30 days. The Pistons were 32-9 at home this season, while the Magic were under .500 on the road. Detroit also had a scoring differential edge of +8.2 to +0.6. The teams split the four games during the regular season, each going 1-1 at home. The ZCode analysis gives the Pistons an 89 percent chance of winning this game. I like the Pistons to win and cover, in a game “over” the line.
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