Cade Cunningham took over in the fourth quarter of Game 3 and nearly dragged the Detroit Pistons back, and on Monday he is expected to try to put the team on his back from the jump. Cunningham also netted eight points in the first stanza of Game 3 — a sign both of what he can do late and what Detroit will need from the opening minutes if the pistons score is to improve.
The numbers underline why bettors and fans will be watching Cunningham closely. He typically plays the entire first quarter, but eight points in that frame is a high bar for a player who does not shoot a ton of threes: in the regular season Cunningham averaged 5.7 3P attempts per night. Detroit’s offense has struggled against Orlando through three games, and the Magic have looked like the better team for large chunks of those contests — making an early aggressor from Detroit essential.
Outside shooting will be a separate but connected lever. Luguentz Dort has been one of the more interesting three-point stories in the playoffs: he took 5.4 threes per night in the regular season and made 34.4% of them, but his longer-term form is stronger — Dort made 39.4% and 41.2% of his threes across the previous two campaigns, and he is hitting 40.0% from deep so far in these playoffs. He also nailed 46.7% of his threes across the Oklahoma City Thunder's final 10 regular-season games, and through three games in this series he has made two, three and three triples.
That makes tonight’s market intriguing: Dort is +250 to make three-plus threes. The tension is obvious — he has the volume and recent history to suggest a hot streak is possible, but a +250 line demands sustained production in a single game. For Detroit, Dort’s long-range accuracy would relieve pressure on Cunningham and create the spacing necessary for an earlier offensive burst.
Meanwhile, across another series, Nikola Jokic’s passer profile is drawing opposite bets. Jokic led the league in potential assists in the regular season at 17.5, but over the past two games he has averaged only 9.5 potential assists and has gone for nine or fewer assists in three straight games. Part of that shift is contextual: the Minnesota Timberwolves have not doubled Jokic as much as teams usually do because Rudy Gobert has played such excellent defense this series, and Aaron Gordon has been less than 100% — factors that cut into Jokic’s typical passing looks and make the under on assist lines a defensible play.
The practical takeaway for Monday’s slate is straightforward. Detroit’s path out of its scoring slump depends on Cunningham doing what he did in Game 3 but earlier — attacking the paint and finding ways to get to eight points in the first quarter even without a heavy three-point volume. If he can’t manufacture that early punch, the Pistons will remain a step behind while the Magic control large stretches. At the same time, Dort is a live long-range bet given his recent efficiency and series form, but +250 asks bettors to bank on a ceiling night. And for prop markets elsewhere, Jokic’s assist regression — backed by the Timberwolves’ defensive approach and lineup issues — makes the under on his assist line a market to watch.
Bottom line: Monday’s player props tilt toward the player who forces the issue. If Cunningham arrives willing to carry the load from the first whistle and Dort keeps shooting like he has, the pistons score could climb; if not, markets will keep leaning toward fewer assists for Jokic and more missed opportunities for Detroit.
