Detroit Pistons vs New York Knicks Odds, Picks & How to Watch (Game 2)

• The Knicks are 6.5-point favorites over the Pistons in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series
• New York took the series opener 123-112
• See the Pistons vs Knicks Game 2 odds, plus my picks below

It’s been 17 years since the Detroit Pistons won a playoff game. Online sportsbooks don’t expect that drought to end on Monday, as they’ve pegged the New York Knicks as favorites in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:40 pm ET inside Madison Square Garden in New York with TNT and truTV providing the broadcast coverage.

Pistons vs Knicks Game 2 Odds

The Knicks are currently favored by 6.5 points and -250 on the moneyline. The total sits at 221.5, with the Pistons coming back as +205 underdogs. Per the NBA public betting trends, New York covered as 6.5-point chalk in Game 1, while the contest flew over the 220.5 point total.

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DET Pistons vs NY Knicks Picks & Prediction

• Over 221.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

New York needed to stage a 4th quarter rally to win Game 1, pulling off a 21-0 run in the final frame to do so. Detroit seemed destined to snap its 14-game playoff losing streak as the teams started the 4th, but it wasn’t long before New York ran them off the court.

If you’re a Pistons backer, you can take solace in the fact that the team looked as good as they did through three quarters. It proved the regular season was no fluke, justifying Detroit taking three of the four games from New York.

In terms of betting a side, I don’t see a huge edge either way against the spread. The total however, is too low. I’m betting over 221.5 now, as some books have already moved to 222.

Both teams were extremely efficient in Game 1. The Pistons shot 48% from the field and 47% from three, while the Knicks splashed 53% of their looks, and shot 39% from beyond the arc.

These teams combined to score at least 221 points in all four regular season meetings, so maybe we should have seen high-scoring game coming in the NBA Playoff Bracket. Cade Cunningham torched New York all season, picking apart their drop defense. He averaged 31 points and 8 assists against them, shooting 52% from three.

Cunningham wasn’t quite as efficient in Game 1, but still chipped in 21 points and 12 assists. Detroit got 11 triples combined form Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley, the ladder who finished the regular season with the NBA’s second most threes.

On the Knicks side, Jalen Bruson led all scorers with 34 points, while New York also got 23 points a piece from Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby.

The Knicks were a top-five offense this season, and have too many options when healthy for the Pistons to defend. It’s what makes them a viable NBA Championship odds contender.

New York Knicks Top-3 Scorers – Advanced Stats

You can’t double either Brunson or KAT, as they’ll always find an open shooter. OG Anunoby is a bruising force, that’s difficult to stop off the drive, while Josh Hart does all the dirty work. Hart has morphed into the Knicks version of Draymond Green, only with a higher offensive ceiling.

In their own end, this team hasn’t played like a Tom Thibodeau defense all season. New York is slightly above average in defensive rating, and were ninth in scoring defense. Good numbers, but certainly not elite. Detroit tagged them for 115+ points in three of four regular season meetings, and got to 112 points in Game 1 with a Cunningham floor game.

The Pistons were the 10th highest rated offense post All-Star Break, and were 13th in shooting efficiency. They can score inside and out, and can also crash the offensive boards at an elite level.

I like both teams to remain efficient in Game 2, in a high-scoring, back-and-forth contest.