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In their first playoff game since 2019, the Detroit Pistons (44-38) travel to New York to take on the Knicks (51-31) in the first round. It's time to continue our NBA playoffs odds series with a Pistons-Knicks prediction and pick.
The Pistons began the calendar year as one of the hottest teams in 2025 but slowed down near the end of the regular season. Closing the year out just 2-6 in its last eight games, Detroit is coming off consecutive losses to the Milwaukee Bucks. However, their last win was ironically over the Knicks, picking up a 115-106 victory on April 10.
The Knicks had a much stronger end to the year, but still went just 1-3 down the stretch. An overtime loss to the Boston Celtics started a three-game skid, one they would end with a 113-105 win over the Brooklyn Nets in their season finale. The Knicks enter the playoffs with the No. 3 seed in the East after finishing at No. 2 in 2024.
Here are the Pistons-Knicks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Playoffs Odds: Pistons-Knicks Game 1 Odds
Detroit Pistons: +7 (-106)
Moneyline: +240
New York Knicks: -7 (-114)
Moneyline: -300
Over: 220.5 (-110)
Under: 220.5 (-110)
How To Watch Pistons vs. Knicks NBA Playoffs 2025
Time: 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Pistons Will Cover the Spread/Win
NBA fans are well aware of the resurgent 2024-2025 Pistons team but might not actually be keen on how good they actually are. As one of the most well-rounded teams in the league all season, Detroit ranked top-five in fastbreak points, points in the paint, opponent points in the paint, and opponent assist-to-turnover ratio in the regular season.
While the Knicks were equally as efficient all season offensively, they were not as potent on the defensive end. New York ranked 22nd in opponent effective field goal percentage during the regular season, particularly struggling to defend the three-ball, allowing the fifth-highest three-point percentage. The Pistons' rotation is full of three-point threats, namely Malik Beasley, who ended the year with 319 made threes, second only to Anthony Edwards.
The Pistons' bench will be key to the team's success against the Knicks, particularly the backcourt. Dennis Schroder and Beasley formed one of the best reserve backcourt duos in the league all season long and have a prime matchup to exploit in the first round. In the regular season, New York allowed the most points and assists to guards off the bench.
Why the Knicks Will Cover the Spread/Win
As impressive as the Pistons have been all year, their young roster still lacks meaningful playoff experience. Aside from Tobias Haris, most of the team's players have never been in the postseason. As an organization, Detroit has gone just 0-12 in playoff games in the last 17 years.
On the flip side, the Knicks are full of veterans with lengthy track records in the playoffs. Most of the team that suffered a heartbreaking exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in 2024 are still on the roster. Yet, they have made several key additions in the past year to address the issues that plagued them, including Miles Bridges as a lengthy defender and Karl-Anthony Towns as a supplementary go-to scorer.
Without Jaden Ivey for the second half of the regular season, the Pistons' offense got stagnant at times, particularly in late-game scenarios. Cade Cunningham has quickly blossomed into an elite scorer but struggled at times against lengthy defenders. With Bridges now in the mix, the Knicks have a bevy of long defenders they can throw at him. Beyond Cunningham, Detroit does not have many weapons capable of leading the offense.
Final Pistons-Knicks Prediction & Pick
It has not been smooth sailing, but the Pistons finally made their way back into the playoffs. It feels like a moral victory just to make the postseason, especially against a Knicks team desperate to avenge their loss a year ago. But while they may not have the same level of star power on their roster, Detroit matches up better with New York than many credit them for.
While the 2024 playoff run from Jalen Brunson was incredible, he faces arguably his toughest single-season defensive matchup against Ausar Thompson. The focus on the Knicks' point guard places additional pressure on Bridges and Towns to deliver. However, both do their best work from behind the arc, where the Pistons are adept at defending.
The recent playoff records of both the Pistons and J.B. Bickerstaff are not encouraging, but this is a different Detroit team whose work is being discredited by the reputation they have around the league. In many ways, it feels like they are being overlooked, and there is a real argument that the best player in the series is Cunningham, not Brunson. The advantage Detroit's bench gives them should be enough to keep Game 1 close, if not lead to an outright victory.
Final Pistons-Knicks Prediction & Pick: Detroit Pistons +7 (-106)
