Pistons vs. Knicks Prediction, Game 1 Expert Picks & NBA Odds Today: Best Bets for NBA Playoffs
The No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons (44-38) visit the No. 3 seed New York Knicks for Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series today. Tipoff from Madison Square Garden in New York is at 6 p.m. ET (ESPN). We make our best Pistons vs. Knicks prediction based on the best NBA odds, expert picks, and player props as part of our NBA picks.
The Knicks are 7.5-point betting favorites for the opener, and all of the best NBA betting sites are offering them with a moneyline of at least -280. Can the Pistons upset the home side, or will the Knicks open up with a victory?
📺 Game info & where to watch Pistons vs. Knicks live today
📅 Date: Saturday, April 19
🕗 Time: 6 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
📺 TV: ESPN
💻 Streaming: ESPN+
💰 Betting insights
Tipoff for Game 1 of the Pistons vs. Knicks Eastern Conference series is just hours away, and we have some betting insights from BetMGM.
The Knicks opened, and are currently, 7.5-point betting favorites. The Pistons are seeing the bulk of the tickets (60%), but the money is coming in on the home team, with the Knicks accounting for 85% of the handle.
The total (220.5) similarly hasn't budged since open. The action is coming in heavily on the Over, with the tickets (71%) and the handle (64%) both favoriting a high-scoring game.
💡 Pistons vs. Knicks Game 1 prediction & expert picks: NBA Playoffs First Round - Saturday, April 19
🎯 Score prediction: Knicks 1114, Pistons 112
✅ Best bet: Pistons +7 (-105 via Caesars)
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📰 Pistons vs. Knicks Game 1 NBA preview & matchup analysis
This should be a lopsided series based on the records. However, the Pistons won the season series 3-1 despite being seven games worse than the Knicks, and they swept New York at Madison Square Garden. Though the Knicks' 30-point win was the most dominant of the series, it took place back on Nov. 1.
Neither team is playing very well entering the postseason, with the Pistons losing six of their last eight and the Knicks dropping three of their last four. Therefore, which side covers the spread in this game will come down to whether the Knicks can get right against a team that's had their number all season.
Ultimately, the spread of 7 is too large. The Knicks and Pistons are pretty even in scoring offense and scoring defense, and the Pistons finished 22-19 on the road this season. They’re not going to be intimidated heading into the playoff atmosphere of Madison Square Garden.
Currently, 69% of bettors are backing the Pistons to cover, which has led to the spread dropping from 7.5 to 7. The number has already fallen to 6.5 at BetMGM, so get in on this soon, as the spread is likely to keep shrinking.
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💰 Pistons vs. Knicks Game 1 picks & best bets
✅ Against the spread pick: Pistons +7 (-105 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅ Moneyline pick: Pistons ML (+235 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐
✅ Over/ Under pick: Over 220.5 (-110 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐
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⛹️ Best Pistons vs. Knicks Game 1 predictions
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🔥 Pistons +7 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Pistons have recorded three five-plus-point wins over the Knicks, with two coming by nine. They’ve already beaten the Knicks twice at Madison Square Garden, and while Detroit ranks behind the Knicks in key categories like scoring offense and scoring defense, there’s barely any separation between these two teams in those categories.
The only thing preventing this wager from being a five-star play is how poorly the Pistons have been playing in April. However, even though they’ve lost five of their seven games this month, the club still managed to top the Knicks by nine when New York was playing all its starters.
Best odds: -105 via Caesars
🔥 Pistons ML ⭐⭐
The Knicks are likely to win this game. But in terms of value, there's no doubt that picking the Pistons is the best moneyline play. The Knicks have lost three consecutive games against the Pistons, and New York being at home meant nothing during the regular season. So, is it really worth backing the Knicks at -280 or worse? No way.
Getting the Pistons at better than 2/1 against a team they’ve played incredibly well against is too good to pass up. This will be a close game, and one the Pistons could absolutely steal.
Best odds: +235 via FanDuel
🔥 Over 220.5 ⭐⭐⭐
All four regular-season meetings went over this total, including the 115-106 win for the Pistons recently. While normally a total set below all four previous matchups would lead me to take the Under, this number isn’t put so egregiously low that it sets off any red flags about a possible trap.
Both of these teams average over 115 points per game, and neither endured much trouble getting to that number during the regular-season series. Defensively, the Knicks are allowing 111.7 points per game, while the Pistons are giving up 113.6. Defenses may tighten up a bit, but these teams have been playing with the same approach all season, and that hasn’t changed against one another.
Best odds: -110 via BetMGM
🚀 Best Pistons vs. Knicks Game 1 parlay picks & SGP odds
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🔢 Best Pistons vs. Knicks odds & betting lines
🛒 Shop around for the best Pistons vs. Knicks odds from our best sports betting apps.
📡 Pistons vs. Knicks live odds
🛜 Game already started? You can still get in on the action with our best live betting sites.
🪧 Pistons vs. Knicks opening odds
Opening odds via BetMGM.
- Spread: Pistons +7.5 (-115) | Knicks -7.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Pistons +240 | Knicks -300
- Over/Under: Over 220.5 (-110) | Under 220.5 (-110)
📊 Pistons vs. Knicks stats: Records, trends & best odds today
📈 For full team stats and betting line history, follow our Pistons vs. Knicks matchup.
🚑 Pistons vs. Knicks injury report
📋 For the latest injury news, check today's official NBA injury report.
🗳️ Who will win Pistons vs. Knicks?
🏀 Best NBA Playoffs predictions & expert picks today
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🏀 Best NBA betting sites
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