The New York Knicks (-4.5) will look to pick up their first win of the season as they host the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
New York has yet to find any offensive rhythm, and I'm taking Detroit to cover in my Pistons vs. Knicks prediction. Let's dive into all my free NBA picks for Tuesday, Oct. 27.
TOP PICK
Pistons vs Knicks prediction: Pistons +4.5
The New York Knicks are still waiting for their first win of the season, while the Detroit Pistons are off to a 3-0 start.
That's too small a sample to make any grand conclusions. But it does appear the Knicks are suffering from a championship hangover while failing to close out games down the stretch. They've surrendered second-half leads in all three losses.
Right now, the Knicks rank 30th in offensive efficiency (98.5) and aren't doing nearly enough defensively to make up for that. On the other hand, Detroit ranks top six in both offensive and defensive efficiency to start the season.
With New York still struggling to put together consistent offense, I have trouble seeing it getting a convincing win against a team this solid. I'm backing Detroit to cover up to +3.5.
COVERS INTEL: The Pistons rank first in the NBA in defensive true shooting impact (+11.5), while the Knicks rank dead last in true shooting (51.1%) so far this season.
Pistons vs Knicks combo
The Knicks are playing solid defense and putrid offense, and that combination has led to the Under hitting in all three of their games, with each one going below tonight's total. But the Pistons are also capable of playing a grinding style, as they did in a 106-93 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
I'll also add Cade Cunningham to hit at least two threes tonight to round out my combo. Cunningham has averaged two-plus threes per game over each of his last two seasons, and has hit multiple shots from deep in his last two contests. That makes him a good pick to do it again tonight.
Pistons vs Knicks combo
- Pistons +4.5
- Under 218.5
- Cade Cunningham 2+ threes made
Pistons vs Knicks player props
Pistons player prop: Duncan Robinson 15+ points
Duncan Robinson is putting up unprecedented scoring numbers for him early this season, averaging 19.7 ppg to start the year. But there are signs it might be at least somewhat sustainable. Robinson is averaging 11.3 shots per game, the most of his career, and his playing time (29.0 minutes per game) is also above his career average and slightly up from last season.
Robinson has scored at least 17 points in each of Detroit's three games. While I don't expect him to stay near 20 ppg all season, I do think he's a great bet to pick up 15+ points right now at up to 40%.
Knicks player prop: Karl-Anthony Towns 12+ rebounds
Even if the Knicks are struggling on offense and not quite meeting their potential defensively, rebounding doesn't tend to slump. Karl-Anthony Towns has been emblematic of that while averaging 12.0 rebounds per game to start the season, in line with how he performed over his first two years with the Knicks.
Detroit hasn't been a particularly imposing team on the boards, ranking 17th in rebounding rate to start the season after snagging 52.9% of boards last year. I like KAT to continue pounding the glass, and I'm trading on him to collect 12-plus rebounds up to 60%.
- Top picks: 2-2, -0.07 units
- Combos: 0-4, -4.00 units
Pistons vs Knicks odds
For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.
- Spread: Pistons +4.5 | Knicks -4.5
- Over/Under: Over 218.5 | Under 218.5
- Moneyline: Pistons 40% | Knicks 61%
For the full slate of NBA matchups, check out our NBA odds board!
Pistons vs Knicks trend
The Pistons are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games against the Knicks. Find more NBA betting trends.
How to watch Pistons vs Knicks
| Location | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date | Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026 |
| Tip off | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC, Peacock |
Pistons vs Knicks latest injuries
Check out our NBA injuries page for updates on every team.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
