Friday night’s NBA Playoff slate features a trio of Game 6s, all three of which involve the home team attempting to stave off elimination.
In Orlando, the eighth-seeded Magic are looking to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the postseason by closing out the top-seeded Pistons on their home floor. Franz Wagner is once again out with a calf injury, so Paolo Banchero and the rest of his teammates will need to carry the load at least one more time in hopes of moving on to face the winner of Cavaliers-Raptors.
Speaking of which, up north in Toronto, the Raptors are trying to keep their season alive after the Cavaliers took a 3-2 lead with a 125-120 win in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Cleveland’s offense has been rolling behind its superstar duo of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, and they’ll look to put a bow on this series tonight at Scotiabank Arena.
Last but not least, the nightcap takes us to Houston – where the Rockets are fixing to make history. After falling behind 3-0 to the Lakers, they’ve won two straight to force a Game 6 at home. A win tonight would set up a Game 7 in Los Angeles on Sunday, where a fourth-consecutive loss would make the Lakers the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 series lead.
In light of all the action, we dug into the Stats Hub over at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook to find one trend worth watching in each Game 6 tonight.
Pistons vs. Magic Game 6
Orlando needs production from its supporting cast more than ever right now. With Wagner out for the second straight game with a calf strain, the Magic will continue to lean heavily on Banchero, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs, among others.
This should also open things up for Wendell Carter Jr., who’s quietly been one of the most reliable scorers in Orlando’s frontcourt down the stretch. He’s cleared 12+ points in seven consecutive home games against Eastern Conference opponents, posting 12, 14, 16, 12, and 14 points over his last five games during that stretch.
With one less man in the rotation and Detroit’s defense locked on Paolo, Carter should continue to see the touches and minutes required to get over this number.
Stats Hub’s Pick: Wendell Carter Jr. Over 11.5 Points (-105)
Cavaliers vs. Raptors Game 6
Cleveland has dominated this series offensively, as Harden and Mitchell have been a nightmare to game-plan for. Despite this, the Cavs haven’t been able to cover the spread on the road. In fact, they’ve failed to cover the number as road favorites against Eastern Conference teams in eight straight games, regular season and postseason included.
Toronto took both home games earlier in this series thanks to its physicality and pace, and with a raucous crowd behind them in an elimination game, the Raptors look like a live underdog to keep this one close – or even win the game outright and force a Game 7 back in Cleveland on Sunday.
Stats Hub’s Pick: Raptors +4.5 (-115)
Lakers vs. Rockets Game 6
With Luka Doncic still sidelined and Austin Reaves just returning from a nine-game absence in Game 5, the Lakers have needed Rui Hachimura to be a steady scoring presence – and he’s delivered.
He’s cleared 12 or more points in 10 straight games, logging 12, 13, 22, 13, and 14 over his last five. This isn’t a guy who needs a huge night to clear the number, either – he’s been doing it consistently through a mix of mid-range scoring, timely threes, and keeping active on the offensive glass.
Houston’s defense will be focused on LeBron James and Reaves, which should leave Rui with enough space to keep this trend going.
Stats Hub’s Pick: Rui Hachimura Over 11.5 Points (-120)
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