Knicks vs. Pistons prediction: NBA picks, odds, bets for Friday

The New York Knicks (2-2) got back on track Wednesday with a huge road win over Miami.

All-Star center Karl Anthony-Towns exploded for 44 points and 13 rebounds to propel the Knicks to victory.

The Knicks’ second game of their four-game road trip will come on Friday against the Detroit Pistons, who have merely a 1-4 overall record but were able to snag a road win against Philly.

Will New York eclipse a .500 record for the first time this season?

Knicks vs. Pistons odds

Knicks vs. Pistons prediction

(7 p.m. ET, MSG)

There’s much to feel good about if you are a Knicks fan.

After an opening night road loss against the Celtics – who tied the NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a game – the Knicks won two of their next three games. 

Despite recently acquiring Anthony-Towns and Mikal Bridges, the Knicks have quickly meshed on the offensive end of the floor, boasting the NBA’s third-highest offensive rating and second-highest effective field goal percentage.

New York has already faced the defending champions and an undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers squad, which says something about its defensive abilities. 

The Knicks now turn their attention to Detroit, which has played better than its record indicates.

Detroit has dominated the glass (third in total rebounding percentage) and shot the ball reasonably well (18th in true shooting percentage) in its first handful of games.

The Pistons’ defense also looks much improved from prior seasons.

They rank 17th among NBA squads in defensive rating, 16th in opponent field goal percentage, and 12th in opponent 3-point percentage. 

Further, Detroit has held opponents to the second-fewest second-chance points in the league, which will be imperative for it to stay in games.

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Knicks vs. Pistons pick

I like the Pistons to keep this game competitive on their home floor.

While they probably won’t win against one of the NBA’s best teams, they have substantially more offensive firepower than in previous years, including a healthy Cade Cunningham, a substantially improved Jaden Ivey, and a red-hot Tim Hardaway Jr. 

Malik Beasley can also provide some bench shooting, and even though Tobias Harris has struggled offensively, he has done a terrific job crashing the glass.

Detroit also doesn’t mind playing slow, which is advantageous against an equally slow Knicks team. Unlike other teams, the Pistons (28th in pace) won’t get flustered by New York’s snail’s pace (30th).

The Knicks should be able to grab a road win, but Detroit could make it hard on them. 

Pick: Pistons +6.5 (BetMGM)

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Andrew Norton handicaps the NBA, WNBA, NFL, college basketball and football, UFC and golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he achieved a standout 14.1% ROI, cashing 60% of his NBA spread picks and leading Tallysight in its SportsIQ metric.