It’s hard to think of a better matchup to set the tone for the 30-game race to the NBA playoffs than the one we have tonight. It’s going to be a dogfight when the Detroit Pistons (40-13) roll into Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks (35-20).
Pistons vs. Knicks tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, live on Prime Video.
Below, we’ll break down our Pistons vs. Knicks prediction and spread for PrizePicks. Use PrizePicks NBA to make picks on player projections and win real money if you’re right.
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Pistons vs. Knicks Prediction, Spread
The Detroit Pistons may very well be the best NBA story we have had in recent memory. This was a team that just two seasons ago finished 14-68, by far the worst record in the NBA and a whopping 50 games behind the best team in the Eastern Conference that year.
Fast-forward to today, and they are 40-13, with the best record in the Association. Their success is more than legitimate, as their +7.9-point differential is the best in the East by a full point over the second-place Boston Celtics.
Their turnaround has been spearheaded by superstar PG Cade Cunningham, who is currently returning a 9.09x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if he were to win MVP this season.
The New York Knicks are 35-20 overall and currently hold the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. They have been playing some of their best basketball leading up to the All-Star break, winning eight of their last ten games. In fact, over their last 12 games, eight wins have come by double digits, raising their point differential to +6.1, the third-best in the conference.
Pistons vs. Knicks Over/Under, Spread
The Knicks enter Wednesday’s game as 4.5-point home favorites, returning a 1.53x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Pistons are road underdogs with a 2.32x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: New York Knicks -4.5 (1.96x payout)
- Over/Under: 214.5 (2x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Pistons 2.32x | Knicks 1.53x
Team Picks payouts are live as of publishing and are subject to change.
Pistons vs. Knicks Injury Report
Let’s dive into the full Pistons vs. Knicks injury report for Wednesday, via NBA.com.
Pistons Injury Report
- C Jalen Duren (league suspension): OUT
- C Isaiah Stewart (league suspension): OUT
Knicks Injury Report
- SF OG Anunoby (toe): Questionable
- PG Miles McBride (core): OUT
Pistons vs. Knicks Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to help you make your Pistons vs. Knicks prediction on the spread today.
- The Pistons are a perfect 6-0-0 (100%) against the spread (ATS) as a road underdog.
- This will be the third meeting of the season between these Eastern Conference juggernauts, with the Pistons holding a 2-0 season series lead, having won both games by at least 30 points.
- Detroit has the second-best net rating in the NBA this season at +8.3, 2.2 points higher than the Knicks.
- The Pistons have either won outright or lost by fewer than 4.5 points in nine of their last ten games against New York, dating back to the start of last season.
Pistons vs. Knicks NBA Picks, Stats for PrizePicks Today
Here are two of the top Pistons vs. Knicks to consider for PrizePicks today. Player projections via the PrizePicks real-money NBA game.
Pistons PG Cade Cunningham vs. Knicks Projection: 40.5 Pts+Reb+Asts
- The Knicks defense has been stifling this year, allowing only 111.9 points per game, the sixth-fewest in the league.
- Over their last 15 games, New York’s defense has gone to another level, restricting opponents to just 43.5% from the field (third) and 31.5% from deep (first).
- For the season, they have also done a tremendous job at restricting counting stats, giving up just 41.2 rebounds (fourth) and 24.6 assists (third) per game.
- This could be one of the slower games on the NBA slate today, and a slight pace-down game for the Pistons, as Detroit ranks 17th in pace and New York checks in at 23rd.
- One pro for Cunningham is that he is shooting 5.6% better from the field and 6.9% better from deep, which has led him to average 3.3 more points per game away from home.
Knicks PG Jalen Brunson vs. Pistons Projection: 36.5 Pts+Reb+Asts
- Speaking of elite defenses, the Pistons have the second-best defensive rating in the league this year (108.3) and are giving up the third-fewest points per game (109.3).
- A large part of this defensive success has been their ability to restrict opponents to just 44.1% from the field (second) and 34.7% from long range (5th).
- In his two games vs. Detroit this season, Brunson has gone for 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists (20 PRA) and 25 points, 3 rebounds, and 0 assists (28 PRA).
- The one pro for Brunson could be his ability to get to the free-throw line tonight. The Pistons are giving up the most free-throw attempts per game this season (27.9).
- Brunson is getting to the line 7.2 times per game at home this season as opposed to just 4.0 times per game on the road.
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