Pistons vs 76ers: Cade Cunningham and Detroit hand Philadelphia loss 2

Why the Pistons beat the 76ers tonight

First place in the East visits second place tonight at 7pm ET on ESPN. The Philadelphia 76ers are 7-1. The Detroit Pistons are 6-1. We got Detroit, and the reason is simple. Detroit has been better than a very good Philadelphia team, and it has beaten this team every time they have played since the start of last season.

That is five straight wins for the Pistons in this matchup, including a 106-93 win on Oct. 25, when Cade Cunningham scored 26. Tyrese Maxey had 29 for Philadelphia that day and it did not matter. Detroit won by 13.

Who has the better scoring margin, Pistons or 76ers?

It is not close. Detroit is outscoring teams by 11.6 points a game, and Philadelphia by 5.8, per Last Call game data. The two offenses are almost the same, with the Pistons at 111.9 points a game and the 76ers at 110.9. Nearly all of the gap is on defense.

The last five games make the point even louder. Both teams are 4-1 in that stretch. Detroit is allowing 95.6 points a game over those five. Philadelphia is allowing 103.8. Detroit has also won three straight and is 2-0 at home, in a building where it went 32-9 last season on its way to 60 wins.

What Cade Cunningham has to do against Philadelphia

Cunningham is averaging 23.7 points and 7.1 assists, and both lead the Pistons. He does not need to outscore Maxey, who is at 29.1 points a game. He scored 26 to Maxey's 29 in the Oct. 25 game and won by 13. He needs to run the offense, take care of the ball and let the Detroit defense do the rest. Ausar Thompson leads the team with 7.2 rebounds a game, and he matters even more tonight with Jalen Duren out.

The case for the 76ers

Here is the fair side. Philadelphia has won four straight and is 3-0 on the road. Detroit is short tonight, with Duren out with a hamstring injury and Isaiah Joe out with a hip injury. The 76ers have Maxey at 29.1 a night, Joel Embiid at 9.2 rebounds and LeBron James at 7.3 assists. Their only injuries are Ariel Hukporti, who is out for the season, and Dominick Barlow. The line is only Detroit by 2.5 at DraftKings, with a -130 moneyline, so the market does not think this one is a blowout. If Embiid dominates inside with Duren out, Philadelphia has a clear way to win.

Why Detroit still wins

Because the numbers are not one game old. Five straight in this matchup, a scoring margin twice as big as Philadelphia's, and a defense allowing under 96 points a game over its last five. Detroit went 60-22 last season, and Philadelphia went 45-37. Philadelphia has the better record so far, and it has earned the top spot in the East. It still has not beaten Detroit once since last season started. A team does not get to call itself the best in the East until it beats the team right behind it, and the 76ers had their shot at that on Oct. 25 and lost by 13. Tonight goes the same way. We got the Pistons at home.