The return of the NBA from the All-Star break brings us a huge Eastern Conference matchup, as the New York Knicks host the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, Feb. 19. The Pistons (40-13) sit atop the conference standings, while the Knicks (35-20) are in third place, six games back and a half-game behind the Boston Celtics. The Pistons won three in a row heading into the break, with the first of those victories a 118-80 rout of the Knicks on Feb. 6. They also won 121-90 in a Pistons vs. Knicks matchup in January but this is the first meeting this season at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks are 21-7.
Tipoff for Pistons vs. Knicks is set for at 7:30 p.m. p.m. ET in New York City. The consensus Pistons vs. Knicks odds list New York as a 4.5-point home favorite, and the Over/Under for total points is 221.5.
In a meeting of two true contenders, there is no shortage of talent on these teams, with Detroit boasting All-Stars Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren (who is suspended for this game) and the Knicks led by fellow All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Cunningham, a top MVP candidate, is one of the key pieces to our three-leg same-game NBA parlay for Pistons vs. Knicks on Thursday at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Pistons vs. Knicks same-game parlay picks
- Knicks money line
- Cade Cunningham Under 40.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists
- Mikal Bridges Over 3.5 Assists
Knicks money line
The Knicks are 13-13 on the road but have lost just seven of 28 games at the Garden (and won the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas). They average 120 points at home, four more than on the road, and average three more rebounds on their own floor. New York has the sixth-best scoring and seventh-best shooting-percentage defense in the NBA, and though Detroit is a shade better in point differential, the Pistons will really miss Duren’s presence. The SportsLine Projection Model has New York winning in 77% of its simulations, earning an “A” grade, and the Knicks cover the spread 67% of the time for a “B” grade.
Cade Cunningham Under 40.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists
Cunningham scored just 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting in the last meeting with the Knicks. He did have 45 PRA in the previous matchup with 29 points and 13 assists but went Under this number in the final two games of last year’s playoff series, which the Knicks won in six games. The Knicks allow just 110 points per game at home, and opponents shoot 45.9% per game from the floor overall, seventh-lowest in the league. SportsLine’s props model has Cunningham at 36.5 PRA for Thursday, which is a 3.5-star play.
Mikal Bridges Over 3.5 Assists
Bridges has gone Over his assist total 15 times in the past 25 games when the Knicks were favored, averaging 4.2 in those games. He is averaging 4.1 assists this season and has gone Over this number in eight of his past 12 games. With the Pistons playing stifling defense, the Knicks are going to have to keep the ball moving and Bridges should be in the middle of the action. Playing at home with plenty of rest, he and the Knicks should be up to the challenge. The SportsLine props model projects Bridges for 3.6 assists Thursday.
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