The New York Knicks should be scared. They should be very scared. After whiffing on a chance to put the Detroit Pistons away inside MSG, New York now must head back to a frenzied Little Caesars Arena with the Motown crowd still foaming at the mouth over the missed foul call at the end of Game 4.
The Knicks lacked urgency and aggressiveness in Tuesday’s home loss and can’t afford to play passively on Thursday. I expect New York to come out swinging for that knockout punch.
Here are my best Knicks vs. Pistons predictions and NBA picks for May 1.
Who will win Knicks vs Pistons Game 6?
The current odds have Detroit as a short home favorite, but the road team has been the best side in this series, with visitors going 4-1 SU through five games.
I see the Knicks winning a tight contest and advancing to the Eastern semis.
Knicks vs Pistons prediction
My best bet: Knicks team total Over 105.5 (-115 at bet365)
The New York Knicks don't look like the team that ranked No. 5 in advanced offensive rating during the regular season (117.3).
Although the Knicks’ scoring output was expected to dip in the playoffs, they’ve watched that advanced metric slim to 109.2 in five games against the Detroit Pistons.
New York has put up bigger scoring efforts of 118 and 123 points in this series, but struggled to score around 100 in the other three games.
Game 5 saw the Knicks sputter for 103 points on 43% shooting at home. Some of that was Detroit’s doing, but other factors took the pop out of the New York attack.
For one, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart both came off the floor late in the fourth quarter and only logged about five minutes in that closing frame. They would combine for only three points and two assists in the 4Q.
But even before that shake-up for the scorers, the Knicks were lacking urgency on offense.
Detroit shot much better in the second half (after hitting at 39% in the opening 24 minutes) and scored at a 47.4% clip in the fourth quarter. That had New York starting a lot of possessions from the inbounds and then walking the ball down the floor and burning through the shot clock before initiating the offense.
The Knicks need to defend better in crunch time, but they also can’t gift wrap precious seconds for the Pistons to get back on defense and set up their schemes. New York needs to be pushing tempo and putting Detroit’s defense on its heels — a strategy not lost on the Knickerbockers.
“Something we can do to stop that is be better defensively and get stops,” Hart told the media after Game 5. “Get out and run. When you’re taking the ball out of the rim … it slows it up. It allows them to pick up full. So, we’ve got to make sure we continue to get stops and finish those possessions with rebounds and get out and run.”
In the regular season, the Knicks were among the most effective transition offenses, ranked No. 2 in the league (1.18 points per play). Through five postseason games, however, they sit second-lowest among the 16 qualifiers (0.97 ppp) in transition attack.
After blowing the best shot at eliminating Detroit on Tuesday, there’s no avoiding the urgency to play with pace in Game 6. I expect more “get up and go” from New York, and that aggression should lead to quicker offense and more opportunities to get to the foul line.
The Knicks also left a lot of points on the table in Game 5, making just 16 of 27 free-throw attempts. New York is among the better teams at the foul line (80% on the season) and was hitting at close to 82% in the series before Tuesday’s troubles at the charity stripe. Hitting at their regular rate in Game 5, the Knicks would have added an extra five or six points to the scoreboard.
New York opened this series with a team total of 114.5 Over/Under in Game 1. Even when the series swung to Detroit, the TTs were at 107.5 and 108.5 points. The Knicks came up short of their team total of 110.5 O/U at home in Game 5, and that’s left oddsmakers to cut that derivative market to 105.5 O/U in Detroit on Thursday.
Detroit put up 106 points in MSG in Game 5, and that very much feels like the bar New York must exceed if it wants to put this series to bed on he road. With an uptick in tempo and settled nerves at the line, I like New York to top its team total in Game 6.
Knicks vs Pistons same-game parlay
Knicks team total Over 105.5
Jalen Brunson 7+ assists
Josh Hart 10+ rebounds
The Knicks need to push the pace and make their free throws to close out this series in Motown.
Brunson will lead the Knicks' attack, with projections sitting around seven dimes for Game 6.
Hart is great at grabbing boards and turning on the transition attack. His models call for closer to 10 rebounds.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Knicks vs Pistons odds
Knicks vs Pistons live odds
Knicks vs Pistons opening odds
- Spread: New York +2 (-110) | Detroit -2 (-110)
- Moneyline: New York +115 | Detroit -135
- Over/Under: Over 213 (-110) | Under 213 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Knicks vs Pistons spread and Over/Under analysis
• Bookies opened Detroit as a 2-point home favorite, and that has stayed steady with early action split. The visiting team is 4-1 ATS in this series.
• The Over/Under total opened at 213 and made a quick run to 213.5 O/U before coming back down to the original number. These clubs have gone 2-3 O/U in this series.
• According to Covers Consensus, 61% of early picks are laying the short points with the Pistons, while 58% of total picks are taking the Over.
Knicks vs Pistons trend
In both the regular season and playoffs, the Knicks are 13-8 ATS in games in which the closing the spread sits at three points or shorter (-3 to +3) this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Pistons.
How to watch Knicks vs Pistons
| Location | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI |
| Date | Thursday, 5-1-2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
Knicks vs Pistons latest injuries
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