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The Detroit Pistons will play the New York Knicks in an Eastern Conference matchup on Tuesday evening. It's time continue our NBA odds series with a Pistons-Knicks prediction and pick.
The Pistons and Knicks will battle on Tuesday as two teams who could each really use a win. Detroit snapped a 14-game losing streak with their win over the Miami Heat on Sunday, and sit 5-24 on the season. New York has lost eight of their last ten games and four of their last five. The Knicks come into this spot as significant home favorites over the Pistons.
Here is how FanDuel has set the Pistons-Knicks odds for this Tuesday NBA matchup.
NBA Odds: Pistons-Knicks Odds
Detroit Pistons +7.5 (-110)
New York Knicks -7.5 (-110)
Over 207 (-110)
Under 207 (-110)
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Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
The Pistons are a bad team this season no matter which way you slice it. Two of their better players, Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk, have been sidelined due to injury. These may not sound like huge absences but the rest of the Detroit roster is very young. Grant and Olynyk would very likely have been two of the leading scorers along with rookie No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham. The Pistons have the worst record in the NBA entering play on Tuesday night.
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Detroit is 7-7 against the spread as an away underdog this season, and 14-15 overall vs. the spread. The Pistons are 2-12 outright on the road this season and have covered in two of their last three games. This could be a decent spot for another cover with the struggling Knicks laying quite a few points.
Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread
The Knicks should be able to handle a win with a cover in this spot, but they are pretty hard to trust of late. New York has really struggled in December, and wasn't exactly setting the world on fire before that. Julius Randle's season of regression has continued as he is shooting 42% from the floor this season. The Knicks come in off a loss to the shorthanded Boston Celtics on Saturday night. New York has lost ten out of their last 14 games and will be desperate to avoid another loss here.
The Knicks have covered just once in their last six games, and that was in a win over the Houston Rockets. New York is just 12-18 overall vs. the spread this season, and 4-11 vs. the number at home. It is difficult to lay this many points with the Knicks right now, but the Pistons may be the only team where it might still be the right play.
Final Pistons-Knicks Prediction and Pick
Backing either side here feels a bit risky, as it is difficult to trust both the Pistons and the Knicks at the moment (or for the past 15 years). The over feels like the safest play in this spot as neither of these teams plays particularly good defense. The total is fairly low, due to the Pistons offensive rating being so poor, but they should be able to at least crack triple digits vs. a paltry Knicks defense.
Take the over and enjoy the ride as these teams should be able to clear the total. New York has been a shell of what they were last season on defense this time around and the Pistons should be able to take advantage. New York has had an average offense this season, as the defense has been their biggest problem.
Final Pistons-Knicks Prediction & Pick: Over 207 (-110)
