The Detroit Pistons (20-44) are in the Big Apple Sunday for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off against the New York Knicks (19-44) at Madison Square Garden. We analyze the Pistons-Knicks odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
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Pistons at Knicks: Key injuries
Pistons
- PG Brandon Knight (hamstring) questionable
- PG Derrick Rose (ankle) out
- SG Luke Kennard (knee) out
- PF Blake Griffin (knee) out
- SG Bruce Brown (thumb) available
Knicks
- PG Frank Ntilikina (ankle) probable
- PG Dennis Smith Jr. (concussion) questionable
Pistons at Knicks: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 3:40 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Knicks 112, Pistons 104
Moneyline (ML)
Both teams have been pretty dreadful recently. The Knicks (-250) have lost back-to-back games and eight of their past 10, while the Pistons (+200) are on a three-game losing streak and have dropped nine of their past 10 games. New York eked out a 95-92 win in their last meeting in Detroit Feb. 8, but the Pistons smoked them 122-102 back on Nov. 6.
There’s no way anyone should lay -250 on the Knicks even against a Detroit team without three starters due to injury—(including two former All-Stars in Rose and Griffin)—and traded away another former All-Star in Andre Drummond. Also, the Pistons are just 5-20 straight up as a road dog leading me to PASS ON THE MONEYLINE.
Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
Betting either New York or Detroit here is like deciding between the lesser of two evils. The Knicks (-5.5, -115) are a quality team against the spread, going 33-29-1 so far this year. There has been only one game in which New York was favored by more than five points and that was Nov. 18 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They won 123-105 and covered the 5.5-point spread. with ease
The Pistons (+5.5, -106) are 2-4-1 against the spread when getting 5-7 points. Detroit is 10-14-1 ATS, with a minus-8.3 margin of victory, when they are a road dog and New York is 4-4 ATS as a home favorite. At the moment, New York is a half-game less crappy than Detroit so BET THE KNICKS -5.5 (-115).
Over/Under (O/U)
Nowadays in the NBA bad basketball is chucking prayers from behind the arc. It used to be slow, ugly, defensive games that would end something like 85-80. In their recent demonstrations of bad basketball, six of the Knicks’ last seven games have gone Over the projected total and the Pistons have a 3-1 Over/Under record in their previous four outings.
Look for one of these two teams to come out firing threes, the other team trying to match them from deep and the game going OVER 210.5 (-110) due to worse defense more than good offense.
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