Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks Prediction, NBA Odds
The Pistons escaped with a narrow 113-109 win over Orlando in Wednesday’s season-opener, while the Knicks aim to rebound after opening their campaign with a 115-112 loss in Memphis.
The Knicks have improved to 7-point favourites on the NBA odds since opening at -6.5, and enjoy the backing of 56 per cent of sports bettors. After briefly fading in early betting, the total has rebounded, climbing to 218.5. However, the UNDER continues to command 63 per cent of the betting action.
Pistons vs. Knicks NBA Betting Odds
Friday night’s matchup at Madison Square Garden marks the first of four regular season meetings between these Eastern Conference rivals. The Knicks have dominated in head-to-head action, winning outright in eight straight while going 7-1-0 against the spread. New York has been particularly dominant on home hardwood during its current win streak against the Pistons, claiming victory by double-digit margins in each of their three recent victories at MSG, while limiting Detroit to just 93 points per game in those contests. Indeed, low scoring has been commonplace in recent dates between these clubs. The total has topped 200 just three times over their past eight meetings, fuelling a 6-2-0 run for the UNDER.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons have a mountain to climb in their bid to return to respectability after averaging just 21 wins over the past three seasons. However, those recent lost seasons have enabled this team to develop a core of young talent to build around. The latest addition to the rebuild is Jaden Ivey. Selected fifth overall by the Pistons at the 2022 NBA Draft, Ivey did not disappoint in his NBA debut on Wednesday, tallying 19 points and four assists in the win over the Magic. He enters the first weekend of the season perched among the favourites as a +396 bet to claim NBA Rookie of the Year honours.
Ivey joins a lineup that already features last year’s first overall pick Cade Cunningham and a pair of 2020 first rounders, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart. The team also picked up Bojan Bogdanovic during the offseason, and the veteran small forward had an immediate impact in Wednesday’s season opener, tallying a team-high 24 points. While the injection of youth should make the Pistons entertaining to watch, they remain a distant +731 bet to make the playoffs. But while they managed to win just 10 road games this season, the Pistons should not be underestimated after closing out last season with wins in six of their final 12 away contests.
New York Knicks
The Knicks return to action after finishing dead last in the Atlantic Division last season for the third time in four years. In addition to being the one of the lowest scoring teams in the NBA last year, the Knicks were also one of the worst teams in the league when playing on home court, winning just 17 games while going a meagre 16-25 against the spread. However, this team enters the new season buoyed by tempered optimism after closing out last season on a tempered 12-7 straight up run. But with the lone upgrade on the court coming in the form of Jalen Brunson, who fills the void left by the departure of veteran Kemba Walker, a big improvement in this team’s fortunes is far from assured. That is reflected on their +142 odds to return to the playoff picture.
The Knicks did demonstrate plenty of character in their season opener. Trailing by 15 at the half, the club battled back to force overtime before dropping a 115-112 decision to the Grizzlies. But even after knocking off Detroit by a wide 117-96 margin in preseason action, the Knicks needed to do more convincing before earning backing as 7-point chalk against a steadily improving Pistons squad.
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