Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks Prediction, Preview, and Odds
The Detroit Pistons head into Madison Square Garden on Thursday night to take on the New York Knicks in the second game of a back-to-back for the Pistons. Detroit owns the worst record in the NBA and is in the midst of a 14-game losing streak heading into last night's game with the Lakers at home. The Knicks are 10-7 on the season but have won seven of their last ten games overall. The opening tap for this Eastern Conference matchup is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST.
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Pistons Not Running Smoothly
Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams has to hope that his season has reached its lowest point following a 126-107 loss on Monday night to the visiting Washington Wizards. The Pistons lost their 14th straight game in the process and did so to a team that came into Detroit on a nine-game losing streak of their own. Williams suggested that his team showed a 'lack of fight' after the game. On Wednesday night against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, the Pistons broke the franchise-record with their 15th straight loss in another one-sided affair, 133-107. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 15 points.
“This group struggles with adversity,” Pistons coach Monty Williams said.
The Pistons are understandably near the bottom of many of the meaningful NBA statistics this season. Detroit is 25th in points per game thus far. They are 22nd in the league in field goal percentage and 28th in 3-point field goal percentage. Things haven't been much better on the defensive end this season either. The Pistons are 22nd in points allowed per game. They are also 17th in defensive field goal percentage and 19th in 3-point defense. The young team is 29th in turnovers per game this season as well. They have excelled on the glass, ranked 11th in the NBA in rebounds per game.
Key Injuries: SF Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) and SF Joe Harris (shoulder) are out.
Knicks Heating Up
The New York Knicks come into this matchup with the hapless Pistons playing their best basketball of the season. The Knicks have won 7 out of 10 games and, with their win on Tuesday night, earned a wildcard spot in the NBA In-Season Tournament knockout round beginning next week. They will need a win over the Bucks in Milwaukee to reach the Final Four in Las Vegas. On Tuesday night, the Knicks blew out the Charlotte Hornets 115-91 to clinch the spot. Julius Randle had 25 points and 20 rebounds while RJ Barrett chipped in with 16 points as the Knicks get ready to go to...Milwaukee and not Las Vegas as they had hoped.
“We all thought we were going to Vegas, I cannot lie,” reserve guard Immanuel Quickley said. “When we first won, we all were saying we were going to Vegas like we were going to Disney World when you go to the Super Bowl.”
The Knicks are just 26th in the NBA in points per game this season. They are also only 28th in the league in field goal percentage. The Knicks have thrived from long range, however, ranking ninth in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage. As a result, they are 8th in the league in the percentage of points coming from the 3-point shot. Defensively, the Knicks have done much better. While they are only 20th in the league in points allowed per game, they make the opposition work for it. The Knicks are 7th in defensive field goal percentage and 7th in 3-point defense. They have been solid with the basketball, ranking 12th in turnovers per game and have been excellent on the glass, ranked first in the league in rebounds per game.
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What is better than getting a chance to play the lowly Detroit Pistons at home? How about getting a chance to play a Pistons team on the second day of a back-to-back while you have two days' worth of rest? The Knicks should be able to take full advantage of the Pistons' weary legs on Thursday night and dominate this game on the interior defensively and on the perimeter offensively. The Knicks rely heavily on the 3-point shot and face a Detroit team that is ranked just 19th in 3-point defense. In addition, the Pistons don't shoot the ball particularly well and now have to try and fight for second-chance shots against the league's #1 rebounding team. The losses of Bogdanovic and Harris severely limit the Pistons' ability to spread the floor offensively and should allow the Knicks to pack it in defensively and force the Pistons to beat them from the perimeter. That won't happen on weakened legs. The Pistons also turn the ball over frequently which should play right into the hands of a Knicks team that is 11th in fastbreak points this season.
Take the Knicks.
Prediction: Knicks
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I will not be shocked to see the Pistons score under 100 points in this matchup against a tough Knicks defense. The Pistons don't shoot the ball very well and rely on second-chance opportunities. They will not get many of those opportunities against the Knicks' top-rated rebounding unit. The Pistons also waste more possessions than nearly every team in the NBA, ranking 29th in turnovers. One-and-done possessions and possessions that end without a shot will not push the Pistons' point total very high in this one.
Take the under.
Prediction: Under
Mark has been a sports fanatic since childhood. He is also an avid follower of sports analytics and has used it in his own betting analysis for over two decades. Now we have Mark on our team here at Stat Salt. He holds degrees in marketing, broadcasting, and English and uses this vast array of assets to dissect and analyze game matchups. Mark will provide you with a wide variety of statistics to consider and a strong opinion in each matchup that he covers. Please follow him daily for an up-to-the-minute analysis of all the important games.
