The New York Knicks will get one shot at the Detroit Pistons in the regular season when the two Eastern Conference powerhouses collide at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Detroit comfortably leads the East standings at 40-13, while New York (35-20) is a game behind Boston for the No. 1 seed.
Let’s get into the Pistons vs. Knicks.
Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks odds
Money line: Pistons +150 / Knicks -180
Spread: Pistons +3.5 (-105) / Knicks -3.5 (-115)
Total: Over 222.5 (-110) / Under 222.5 (-110)
Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks best bet #1: Knicks -3.5 (-115)
While you have to worry about the motivation level of most NBA teams this time of year, that won’t be a problem for the Knicks on Thursday — not after losing the first two games of this regular season series against Detroit by 31 and 38 points. Pride is on the line, and that’s not the only reason New York is in a good position for revenge. The first two games were in Detroit, and this one is inside Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are 21-7 at home so far in 2025-26 compared to 13-13 on the road. They won 5-1 in their last home game.
In addition, New York was missing Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby in the most recent meeting with Detroit. This time it’s a team tie. It’s Detroit that ends on Thursday. Jalen Duren (two games) and Isaiah Stewart (seven) are both suspended for their roles in the Feb. 9 contest against Charlotte. That’s sad news for the lowly Pistons. Duren averaged 17.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest; Stewart averages 10.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. Look for the Knicks to capitalize. They are 10-2 overall and 10-2 ATS in their last 12.
Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks best player prop bet: Duncan Robinson 10.5 points (-120)
Robinson has surpassed this 10.5 rating in four of his last five games. The 31-year-old has scored at least 20 points twice this season and 18 once. There’s no need to worry about his nine-point performance against the Knicks in early February, as he shot 3-7 from downtown and logged just 20 minutes of court time since it was a disaster.
The Williams College and Michigan product obviously does a lot of damage from three-point range, and New York’s defense is nothing special in that department. Ranked 12th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage against opponents at 35.7. With Duren and Stewart unavailable, Robinson has to help on the floor — and he should be able to do it.
