Cavs expected to win Game 4, but have an uphill battle to win Eastern Conference

TL;DR

The Cleveland Cavaliers are favored to win Game 4 against the Detroit Pistons but face a tough challenge to come back from a 2-0 series deficit in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Historically, only 34 out of 471 teams have overcome such a deficit to win the series.

Key points

Cavaliers favored by 3.5 points in Game 4
Only 34 of 471 teams have come back from 2-0 deficit
Cavaliers' odds to win Eastern Conference at +650

Cleveland CavaliersDetroit PistonsNew York KnicksPhiladelphia 76ers

CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 09: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after a play against the Detroit Pistons during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images Only 34 of the 471 teams that have fallen behind 2-0 in an NBA playoff series have come back and won the series. The Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to become the 35th team to do so as they attempt to climb out of that hole against the Detroit Pistons. Winning Game 4 and evening the series would go a long way in helping them do so. As of now, the Cavs are favored in Game 4 and have a good chance of doing so. lists Cleveland as a in Game 4. So far this series, the favored team has won all three games and covered the point spread in the process. The Cavs are hoping that trend continues on Monday. The race out of the Eastern Conference is clearing up with the sweeping the . Understandably, the Knicks are the favorites to come out of the conference as they’re to do so. The Pistons are closely behind. lists them at to win the East. The Cavs are far behind at to do so. These odds mirror how things look for the Cavs in terms of winning a championship. The Cavs have the fifth-lowest odds to win the Finals among the seven remaining playoff teams at . The Pistons are just in front of them at . This rationale makes sense. The Cavs are behind in the series. Even if they tied things up in Game 4, they would still need to win on the road at least once to prevail in the series. Picking up a road win has alluded them so far this postseason as they’ve dropped all five road games. Since 2023, the Cavs are a combined 4-13 away from Rocket Arena in the postseason. We’ll see if the Cavs can come back against the Pistons in their second-round series. You can follow all of the playoff action with .

Q&A

What are the Cavaliers' chances of winning Game 4 against the Pistons?

The Cavaliers are currently favored by 3.5 points to win Game 4, as all favored teams have won the first three games of the series.

How many teams have come back from a 2-0 deficit in NBA playoff series?

Only 34 out of 471 teams have successfully come back to win a playoff series after falling behind 2-0.

What are the odds for the Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference?

The Cavaliers have odds of +650 to win the Eastern Conference, placing them behind the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons.