The Detroit Pistons host the New York Knicks on Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM ET as both teams near the end of the regular season with playoff seeding still in play.
New York is 50-29 and sits third in the Eastern Conference. Detroit is 43-36 and currently in sixth. These two teams could meet again in the first round of the playoffs. Detroit won the last two meetings this season, including a 124-119 win in New York on January 13.
Pistons Preview – Looking to Get Back on Track
The Pistons have dropped four of their last five games, including back-to-back losses at home. They lost by six to Memphis and gave up 127 points in a loss to Sacramento. Defense has been a problem lately, especially late in games.
Cade Cunningham has been a bright spot. He scored 35 points in the loss to Sacramento and has averaged 29.0 points, 8.3 assists, and 6.0 rebounds in three games vs. the Knicks this season. He is listed as day-to-day with a knee issue.
Detroit ranks 9th in scoring at 116.1 points per game and shoots 48.8% from the field, which ranks 4th in the league. They allow 113.2 points per game on defense. Jalen Duren averages close to a double-double, and Ausar Thompson helps with scoring and playmaking off the wing.
Knicks Preview – Finishing the Season Strong
The Knicks are looking to lock in the No. 3 seed in the East. They are two games up on the Pacers with three to play and hold the tiebreaker. A win over Detroit would secure their spot.
New York lost in overtime to Boston on Tuesday. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 34 points and 14 rebounds. Jalen Brunson added 27 points and 10 assists. The Knicks played well but fell just short in a close game.
New York ranks 9th in points per game at 116.1. They shoot 36.9% from three and 80% at the free-throw line. On defense, they allow 113.2 points per game and rank top 10 in field goal percentage allowed. The team is dealing with injuries, including Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson all being out.
Betting Prediction
Detroit is favored by 4.5 points at home, with a total of 227.5. The Pistons have won the last two matchups and have a strong trend in the first half. However, their defense has struggled recently, especially late in games.
New York is short-handed but still has key scorers like Towns and Brunson. The Knicks are 8-2 in their last 10 games overall and have been a strong bet early in games. Expect a close game, but New York should be able to cover and possibly win outright.
Pick: New York Knicks +4.5 over Detroit Pistons.
We expect this to be a great basketball game. Both of these teams are playing good basketball, and will both be heading to the postseason next week. When push comes to shove, though, we are going to take the New York Knicks to win this game over the Detroit Pistons. Enjoy the game and best of luck!
