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The No. 3 seed New York Knicks will host the No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchup on Saturday evening in the 2025 NBA playoffs. New York and Detroit have not met in the postseason since 1992, and both franchises are hoping for a deep playoff run. The Knicks finished the regular season with one more win than last year, but they are one spot lower in the conference standings. Detroit tied the NBA record for consecutive losses and finished with the worst record in the league last season before engineering the sixth-largest single-season turnaround in NBA history this year.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden in New York. The Knicks are favored by 7 points in the latest Knicks vs. Pistons odds on FanDuel Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 220.5. New York is -297 on the money line. Before making any Pistons vs. Knicks picks for the 2025 NBA playoffs, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters the 2025 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 156-115 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $4,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on New York vs. Detroit. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Pistons vs. Knicks:
- Knicks vs. Pistons spread: Knicks -7 on FanDuel
- Knicks vs. Pistons over/under: 220.5 points
- Knicks vs. Pistons money line: Knicks -297, Pistons +238
- NY: The Knicks are 7-3 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 games
- DET: The Pistons are 8-0 ATS in their last eight games against Atlantic Division teams
- Knicks vs. Pistons picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Knicks vs. Pistons streaming: FuboTV (try for free)
Why the Knicks can cover
New York made some tweaks to its lineup after last season, acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges while extending OG Anunoby. Those moves helped improve New York’s offense, which finished fifth in points scored per possession. Jalen Brunson and Towns are one of the best duos in the NBA, and they provide space for Anunoby and Bridges.
The Knicks also finished just outside the top 10 in the league in defensive rating and opponent turnover rate. Their starting five has played more total minutes than any five-man lineup in the league, so they will be comfortable with increased minutes in the postseason. New York has won seven of its last eight games as a favorite, while Detroit has only covered the spread once in its last six road games. See which team to pick here.
Why the Pistons can cover
Detroit won 30 more games under head coach J.B. Bickerstaff this season than it did last year under Monty Williams, which is the sixth-largest single-season turnaround in league history. The Pistons added Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. to their roster, while Cade Cunningham took another step forward. Cunningham averages 26.1 points, 9.1 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game.
The Pistons have been at their best over the last four months, playing at a 50-win pace since mid-December. They rank inside the top 10 on both ends of the court since the start of February, while New York is 6-16 against teams with top-10 point differentials. Detroit ranks ninth in that statistic, so the Pistons are the type of team that can give New York trouble. See which team to pick here.
How to make Knicks vs. Pistons picks
The model has simulated Pistons vs. Knicks 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over the total, projecting 222 points, and it also says one side of the spread is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Knicks vs. Pistons, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Pistons vs. Knicks spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 156-115 roll on top-rated NBA picks since last season, and find out.
