{"id":547162,"date":"2026-03-19T17:07:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/547162\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T17:07:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:07:14","slug":"what-has-cunningham-injury-done-to-pistons-nba-title-odds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/547162\/","title":{"rendered":"What Has Cunningham Injury Done to Pistons NBA Title Odds?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cade Cunningham is out indefinitely after suffering a collapsed lung<\/p>\n

The Pistons star will miss at minimum eight games, which caused Detroit\u2019s Title odds to lengthen<\/p>\n

See the updated Pistons NBA Title odds at Kalshi below, plus find out if they\u2019re worth a wager at their new price<\/p>\n

Some people just can\u2019t have nice things. That\u2019s how Detroit sports fans must be feeling this morning after news broke that Pistons star Cade Cunningham has suffered a collapsed lung. Detroit enters the day with a 3.5-game lead atop the Eastern Conference standings, but the Pistons championship price tag has taken a major hit at prediction markets.<\/p>\n

Detroit Pistons NBA Title Odds<\/p>\n

Kalshi<\/a> is now giving Detroit just a 4% chance in the NBA title odds<\/a>, which is the equivalent of pricing them at +2400 to win it all in traditional sports betting terms. The Pistons were as short as +1800 yesterday morning, and were listed as low as +1240 a month ago.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no official word on how long Cunningham will miss, but he isn\u2019t expected to suit up for at least two weeks, during which Detroit plays eight times. If you\u2019re looking for a silver lining, the collapsed lung is of the mild variety, and the Pistons schedule isn\u2019t overly difficult down the stretch. They\u2019ve performed admirably in games their star guard has sat so far this season, posting a 5-2 mark.<\/p>\n

Pistons Can\u2019t Compete for the NBA Title Without Cunningham<\/p>\n

The salt on the wounds for Cunningham is that he was among the top contenders in the NBA MVP odds<\/a> before the injury, but needs to play four more times to reach the minimum 65-game threshold to be considered for the award. The Pistons have 14 contests remaining, meaning he can only afford to miss 10 games if he wants to stay in MVP contention.<\/p>\n

That of course is secondary to the bigger issue, which is how will Detroit stay competitive without their star. Cunningham is the heart and soul of the Pistons offense, and Detroit lacks a true secondary scorer to pick up the slack. Sure, Jalen Duren averages 19 points down the middle, but his success is predicated on one-on-on matchups, with Cunningham drawing the bulk of the defensive attention. That\u2019s a luxury he\u2019ll no longer have.<\/p>\n

Cunningham leads the team in points, assists and free throw attempts, while dominating usage. Without him, Detroit will have to rely on a combination of Daniss Jenkins, Marcus Sasser and Caris LeVert at the point, which isn\u2019t striking much fear into the opposition. Fortunately, they defend exceptionally well, and will need to lean into that suffocating defense to win games.<\/p>\n

The Pistons currently boast the second best defensive rating in the NBA. Their offensive efficiency dips by over 6 points per game without Cunningham, so it\u2019s paramount they keep up the intensity in their own end to stay competitive.<\/p>\n

Shams on Cade Cunningham collapsed lung:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s expected to miss an extended period of time. The Pistons are not quite sure how long it will be. Could be weeks. There is optimism he could be back for the playoffs\u201d<\/p>\n

(Via @GetUpESPN<\/a>) pic.twitter.com\/5FDVYbvojL<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Detroit is not a title contender without Cade, but that doesn\u2019t mean they should be forgotten about in the championship conversation. There\u2019s early optimism that Cunningham will return before the postseason, and the Pistons soft schedule might allow them to maintain their top spot in the East.<\/p>\n

Worst case scenario they drop to the second or third seed, but Detroit has excelled away from home all season, and can win a playoff round or two on the road if need be.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s Value on Detroit Right Now<\/p>\n

No team in the East has fewer road losses than the Pistons, while only Oklahoma City and San Antonio have more victories away from home.<\/p>\n

At the time of writing, Detroit now has longer championship odds than fellow East contenders Boston, New York and Cleveland, and I think that\u2019s a mistake.<\/p>\n

Pistons Record Without Cade Cunningham This Season<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t expect the Pistons to surrender top spot in the conference, making them a value in the Title odds market. Of Detroit\u2019s final 14 games, only six are against teams holding down a playoff spot. Five of the games are versus teams ranked 10th or worse in their respective conference, and three of the outings are against teams that will be incentivized to lose to maintain their lottery position.<\/p>\n

I mentioned the Pistons were 5-2 without Cade so far in 2025-26, and that record includes a 5-1 mark versus non playoff teams. When Cunningham comes back, anyone sitting with a +2400 ticket on Detroit to win it all is going to feel very good.<\/p>\n

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