Detroit Pistons vs New York Knicks

A possible first-round playoff clash at Little Caesars Arena will feature the Detroit Pistons taking on the New York Knicks this Thursday. The Pistons, currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 43-36 record, will face off against the third-placed Knicks, who stand at 50-29. Here’s what we predict for this matchup!

The Pistons have staged a remarkable recovery after a dismal 14-win season last year. They’ve locked in at least a top-six finish, ensuring their return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Detroit still has a shot at climbing higher, sitting just two games behind the fifth-placed Milwaukee Bucks.

The home team heads into this game after a 127-117 defeat to the Kings on Monday at home. That loss marked their second straight setback and their fourth in the last five games. The Pistons will be eager to halt this slump before the postseason kicks off.

The Knicks, meanwhile, are secured as at least the third seed and maintain a two-game cushion over the fourth-placed Pacers. New York suffered a narrow 119-117 overtime loss to the Celtics on Tuesday, ending a two-game winning run.

Despite that stumble, the visitors have been in solid form lately, claiming victory in seven of their past 10 games.

The New York Knicks will be missing key starters OG Anunoby and Josh Hart for tonight’s game, removing nearly 32 points from their usual starting lineup. This opens up more scoring opportunities for the rest of the rotation, including Mikal Bridges.

The shooting guard has experienced a rollercoaster of performances over the past couple of months. After battling through a shooting dip in February, he bounced back to average nearly 20 points per game in March. However, his April numbers have been inconsistent so far.

In his last five outings, Bridges has posted scores of 8, 14, 14, 20, and 22 points, causing his scoring prop market to fluctuate from highs of 24.5 down to lows of 15.5 Over/Under. Following a 14-point performance on 6-for-15 shooting in Tuesday’s overtime loss to Boston, his point prop for tonight is set at 16.5 Over/Under.

The Detroit Pistons, meanwhile, stumble into this matchup struggling, having dropped four of their last five games. With several key players listed on the injury report, their defensive efficiency has taken a hit, conceding an average of 116.6 points per game across those five contests.

Bridges has matched up against the Pistons three times this season, scoring 15, 20, and 27 points in those games. His standout performance came on January 13 at home, where he efficiently sank 9 of 13 shots—including 6 of 8 from beyond the arc—for 27 points, even with the Knicks at full strength.

Projections for Bridges all lean toward exceeding the 16.5-point line, with estimates peaking closer to 18 points. My own calculation aligns near that 18-point mark, factoring in the absences on New York’s roster. Given this, the Over 16.5 option should arguably be priced around -135, rather than the typical -115 commonly seen for player props.