The dust has settled on the NBA trade deadline — sort of — and on-court action continues with an Eastern Conference showdown between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons on Friday night in Detroit. This is without question a potential conference finals preview; Detroit is atop the East at 37-13, while New York is not too far behind with a 33-18 record.
Let’s dive into my Knicks vs. Pistons predictions.
New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons Lakers odds
Money line: Knicks -114 / Pistons -104
Spread: Knicks +1 (-112) / Pistons -1 (-108)
Total: Over 224.5 (-110) / Under 224.5 (-110)
New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons best bet #1: Pistons -1 (-108)
There is no need to overly concerned by this being the second leg of a back-to-back situation for the Pistons. Thursday’s game against Washington was pretty much a no-contest. Detroit fell behind big right from the start and never made much of an effort to get back in it. Only two players on the Pistons’ roster logged more than 30 minutes and Cade Cunningham (38) was the lone player with more than 33 minutes. Additionally, Detroit is 6-1 straight up in second legs of back-to-backs so far in 2025-26. Given the clunker that was the Pistons’ 126-117 loss to the lowly Wizards, they should be inspired to make amends for that in front of the home crowd.
Playing at home could be a key factor on Friday. Detroit is 20-5 inside Little Caesars Arena this season. Meanwhile, New York is just 11-12 on the road compared to 21-6 at Madison Square Garden. Cade Cunningham has scored 29 points or more in two straight games and in three of the last four. Backcourt mate Duncan Robinson is 12-for-24 from three over the past two contests for Detroit. For New York, Karl-Anthony Towns (eye laceration) and Josh Hart (ankle) are questionable.