Pistons vs. Knicks NBA expert prediction and odds for Monday, Feb. 26 (Bet the UNDER)
Betting odds, pick and prediction for the New York Knicks' matchup with the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.
By Peter Dewey
The New York Knicks are looking to bounce back from a loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday when they take on the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
Detroit just has eight wins on the season, and it’s coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Orlando Magic on a Paolo Banchero game-winning shot on Saturday night.
The Knicks are still down OG Anunoby, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson, but the team will have to battle through the adversity to hold on to a top spot in the East this season.
New York is heavily favored in this game, but is that the best way to bet on this matchup?
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Let’s break down the odds and my best bet for Monday’s contest:
Pistons vs. Knicks odds, spread and total
Pistons vs. Knicks how to watch
- Date: Monday, Feb. 26
- Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Madison Square Garden
- How to watch (TV): MSG, Bally Sports Detroit
- Pistons record: 8-48
- Knicks record: 34-23
Pistons vs. Knicks injury reports
Pistons injury report
- Buddy Boeheim – out
- Jared Rhoden – out
- Marcus Sasser – out
- Stanley Umude – out
- Isaiah Stewart – out
Knicks injury report
- OG Anunoby – out
- Mitchell Robinson – out
- Julius Randle – out
Pistons vs. Knicks key players to watch
Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham: Over his last two games, Cunningham has scored 56 points without attempting a single free throw. The Pistons guard is averaging 22.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field. He had 31 against the Knicks in his first meeting against them this season.
New York Knicks
Josh Hart: The heart and soul of the Knicks, Hart has stepped up hugely since OG Anunoby and Julius Randle went down. Hart is averaging 11.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game over his last 11 games. He should have a major role in this game as well.
Pistons vs. Knicks prediction and pick
While the Knicks should win this game, I’m looking to the total for my best bet on Monday night.
New York is one of the best UNDER teams in the NBA when at home, hitting the UNDER in 19 of 28 games.
The Knicks’ offense has undoubtedly taken a hit without Randle and Anunoby, and Detroit’s also seen its offense depleted after it traded Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to the Knicks at the deadline.
Detroit has fallen short of this total in three of its last five games, scoring 115 or fewer points in each game. Meanwhile, the Knicks have failed to clear this total in four straight games, scoring 103 points or fewer in each matchup.
On the season, the Knicks are a top-10 defense in the NBA, and I expect them to slow down this Detroit team that runs through Cunningham and Jaden Ivey almost exclusively now.
Pick: UNDER 223.5 (-110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.