We tasked our staffers with Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic predictions in a first-round series to start the 2026 NBA playoffs.
The teams surprisingly split the season series, 2-2, with Orlando winning April 6 at home, 123-107. But the Pistons were down three starters in that one, including Cade Cunningham.
Orlando had to play twice in the play-in tournament just to get here. The 1-seed Pistons are heavy favorites against the 8-seed Magic in a duel with each franchise looking for its first playoff series win in more than 15 years.
Here's how our eight writers see the best-of-seven series playing out:
Don’t let Detroit’s 2-2 record against Orlando this season fool you into thinking the Magic have a chance. Orlando is limping into the postseason after losing 10 of its past 18 games, and it’s hard to see the Magic taking even a game from a well-rested, motivated Pistons squad. The pick: Pistons in 4.
Orlando will want to turn this series into a street fight. But in the 313, we say: Bring it! The Pistons will win at that game. So, will Orlando hurt the Pistons from outside? Nope. The Magic are the fourth-worst shooting team in the NBA from long range. Cade Cunningham will be the best player on the floor while Jalen Duren should have room to do damage inside. Orlando could muster up enough magic to sneak away with one before Detroit closes it out. The pick: Pistons in 5.
The Magic are more than just Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner – Desmond Bane delivered an efficient season averaging more than 20 points and is capable of swinging a playoff game with a big performance. But the Pistons are deeper and have simply been better this season, on both ends. It shouldn't be a long series. The pick: Pistons in 5.
Cade Cunningham may need a couple games to find his rhythm and the Pistons will need him to if Orlando starts to find its rhythm after missing so many players to injury this season. The Pistons have the better team but they're going to have to make plays late in games to win this series. This won't be decided by blowouts. In the end, Cunningham finds his range and his legs and makes the difference. The pick: Pistons in 6.
Paolo Banchero went off against Charlotte in the play-in game, and former Michigan star Franz Wagner brings a strong dose of physicality now that he’s healthy again. But the Pistons are just too good and too deep to entertain any foolishness about a potential upset or even dropping one game in this series. The pick: Pistons in 4.
These teams have had opposite seasons: The Pistons established an identity; the Magic have not. Orlando has size and raw talent with a host of former lottery picks. Paolo Banchero, for all his warts this season, averaged 26.3 points per game in three matchups with the Pistons on 52.3% shooting and 14.3 free-throw attempts. The Pistons will need to defend without fouling that often. They should be able to force turnovers − Banchero had 15 against them this season − to get on the break, and their identity forged all season wins out. The pick: Pistons in 5.
I'm not getting fooled by the Magic's blowout win over a young Hornets squad that nearly lost to the Miami Heat (largely without Bam Adebayo) in the first play-in game. The Magic have shown who they are throughout the year, and that's underwhelming. Orlando is built on defense, but finished just 13th in defensive efficiency (while the Pistons were second). The Pistons, fresh off a week break, pummel the Magic in Game 1, and crush the fractured Magic locker room. The pick: Pistons in 4.
When they’re motivated, the Pistons can dominate almost any team in the league. Will they be motivated in this series? Meh. Orlando’s Desmond Bane loves to shoot at Little Caesars Arena, with a 35-point game in each of the past three seasons, including a 49-pointer in December 2023. These Pistons are a whole lot better than the ’23-24 squad, but Bane steals a game in the Motor City, and Franz Wagner steals another in the Magic Kingdom, before the Pistons lock in. The pick: Pistons in 6.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons Magic predictions: Who wins NBA playoff series and why?