Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks Game 2 Prediction, NBA Odds
The Pistons have failed to claim a postseason victory since Game 4 of the 2008 NBA Eastern Conference final and have also lost seven of their past nine overall heading into Monday’s NBA betting action. The Knicks drew first blood in this series with Saturday’s decisive 123-112 win and will be aiming to claim a 2-0 first round series lead for the third time in five playoff appearances.
The Knicks have emerged as 6.5-point favourites on Monday’s NBA playoff odds and have improved to -700 chalk on the NBA playoff series prices. The Pistons lag as +225 underdogs on the NBA moneyline and the total is pegged at 221.5.
Pistons vs. Knicks NBA Betting Odds
After trailing by as many as nine points after the break, the Knicks finally found their groove late in Game 1, erasing that deficit with 21 unanswered points to seal Saturday’s 123-112 victory. With the win, the Knicks improved to 9-3 in their past 12 first round matchups including a 5-1 mark on home court at MSG. The victory also snapped a three-game overall slide versus the Pistons and marks the first time that the Knicks have tallied consecutive wins over the Pistons in 16 all-time playoff meetings.
For the Pistons, Saturday’s loss further extends a stretch of playoff futility that dates back 17 years. Detroit has also failed to cover in each of the club’s five most recent postseason defeats to fall to 2-13 ATS during their current swoon, which features 11 losses by double-digit margins. The Pistons have also lost five of their past six overall on the road, with those defeats coming by an average margin of 11.8 points.
Detroit Pistons
While the Pistons looked to have gotten over their late-season swoon with three solid quarters of play in Game 1, they once again faded down the stretch while scoring just 21 points in the fourth quarter and have now averaged just 24.4 points in the final frame during their current 2-7 slide. It proved to be a particularly difficult evening for Cade Cunningham, who recorded just 21 points on meagre 38.1 per cent shooting, ending an impressive stretch of five games during which he scored at least 35 on four occasions. However, Cunningham continued to drive the Pistons attack with 12 assists to post a second straight double-double. Veteran big man Tobias Harris emerged as the Pistons’ top producer with 25 points, but has not scored at least 20 in consecutive games since early February.
New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson picked up where he left off last spring in Saturday’s Game 1 win. The veteran point guard averaged 32.4 points per game while leading the Knicks to the second round a year ago, and overcame what appeared to be tweak of the ankle injury that cost his 15 games late in the season to power the New York attack with 34 points and eight helpers. Brunson played a central lead in the club’s game-changing 21-0 run, combining with Josh Hart to score the first 17 of that run. Hart finished the contest with 13 points but his seven rebounds brought his streak of three games with double-digit boards to an end. Karl-Anthony Towns maintained his recent torrid pace with 23 points and 11 boards in his New York playoff debut while OG Anunoby also dropped 23 points and contributed seven of the Knicks’ 36 rebounds on the night.
DET
NY