Knicks vs. Pistons Predictions, Picks & Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 3, Today 4/24
They finally did it - the Detroit Pistons ended their 15-game playoff losing streak dating back to 2008 by taking down the New York Knicks in Game 2 on Monday night. They’ll be heading back to Motor City with some momentum, and with what should be thrilling Game 3, we’ve got our best Knicks vs. Pistons predictions for you.
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Knicks vs. Pistons Predictions For Tonight NBA Playoffs Game 3, 4/24
Right now, we’d bet that there are many Pistons fans that are both excited and frustrated. They’re excited about evening the series at 1-1 before heading back to Detroit but frustrated at letting Game 1 slip away.
Outside of the Knicks’ 21-0 run in the fourth quarter of Game 1, the Pistons have been the better team in this series for seven of the eight quarters. Whether you subscribe to Tom Thibodeau over-using his players or not, New York needs more production from the so-called “others”.
Their entire bench scored eight points in Game 2 - Detroit’s Dennis Schroder had 20 himself. There’s never a shortage of topics to discuss when it comes to the Knicks head coach, so let’s transition to what’s going on in New York so that we can fully dive into the best bet from our Knicks vs. Pistons predictions.
New York Knicks: Tom Thibodeau’s Tough Love For Officials
Tom Thibodeau deserves both plenty of credit and criticism, as he’s one of the most polarizing coaches in all of sports. Prior to Game 2, he had led the Knicks to an 11-5 home playoff record, but he’s scrutinized for over-using his players on a daily basis. Well, Monday night, he scrutinized the officials.
He did so after not only seeing the Pistons take 34 free throws compared to the Knicks’ 19, but also after seeing New York not take a single one until just before halftime. However, what he may need to realize is that while the free throw discrepancy was there, the actual number of fouls called was nearly identical - just 24 to 22.
Detroit Pistons: Snapping The Streak
It wasn’t the most sweat-free win, but the Pistons finally got the job done. The aforementioned 15-game playoff losing streak was an NBA record, but again, it didn’t come easy. There were times in which it looked like it would, as Detroit had as high as an 11-point lead as early as the second quarter.
They were able to make the Knicks offense look anemic for much of the game, but somehow, after taking an 88-75 lead, New York was able to tie things up 94-94 with just over a minute left. Well, given the 100-94 final score, the Knicks obviously didn’t score again. As Pistons fans had hoped, Cade Cunningham showed up in a big way with 33 points.
Knicks vs. Pistons Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
Despite losing Game 2 and going on the road, New York is still favored according to the latest Knicks vs. Pistons odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, although just slightly:
- Point Spread: New York Knicks -1 (-105) vs. Detroit Pistons +1 (-115)
- Money Line: New York Knicks (-110) vs. Detroit Pistons (-110)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 214.5 (-110) vs. Under 214.5 (-110)
Knicks vs. Pistons Best Bet: Mikal Bridges Over 16.5 Points (-105 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Not to take any glory away from Detroit ending their playoff win drought, but the focus of our Knicks vs. Pistons predictions is on the New York side of the matchup. Specifically, a player prop on the Knicks side.
We have Mikal Bridges having a much greater impact for the massive number of minutes he puts on the court. We know it’s been discussed endlessly at this point, but with head coach Tom Thibodeau being criticized for running his stars into the ground since virtually the invention of basketball, there’s no reason to expect that to change tonight.
Bridges averaged the third-most minutes per game this season (three Knicks players were in the top five), so the opportunities will certainly be there. He’ll also want to make up for the last thing that we saw from him - a missed three at the end of the game on Monday night.
He also had far more success against the Pistons this season than we saw from him in Game 1, and that was proven in Game 2 with 19 points. Bridges also averaged just under 20 points per game against Detroit this year, not to mention nearly 18 points per game throughout the entire season.
The pricing for this prop is leaning towards it ticking down to 15.5 points, but even if it doesn’t, we love Mikal Bridges over 16.5 points (-105 at DraftKings Sportsbook) as the best bet from our Knicks vs. Pistons predictions.
Knicks vs. Pistons Injury Report & Starting Lineups
Since we saw Jalen Brunson return towards the tail end of the regular season, the Knicks vs. Pistons injury news consists of truly just one big note, which is on the Detroit side. That would be the absence of Isaiah Stewart, which has the Knicks vs. Pistons lineups below what we expect for Game 3:
NY Knicks:
DET Pistons:
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Player News
Buddy Hield had 15 points (5-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points (6-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 as they try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one block and four three-pointers in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He, Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo combined for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.
Julius Randle had 24 points (10-of-17 FGs), seven rebounds, 11 assists and one three-pointer in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but Randle is still the next most important player in this series for the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and two three-pointers in the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday.
Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.
Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday.
No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.