- The Pistons evened their best-of-seven series with the Knicks thanks to a massive Game 2 performance
- The Pistons are slight home underdogs as the series shifts to Detroit for Game 3 on Thursday
- See the opening Game 3 Knicks vs Pistons odds plus updated Detroit/New York series odds
The Detroit Pistons (44-38, 22-19 home) stole home-court advantage in their best-of-seven first-round series with the New York Knicks (51-31, 24-17 away) on Monday night with a huge 100-94 win in the Big Apple. The series now shifts to Detroit for Games 3 and 4 but the young, hungry Pistons are slight home underdogs to take a 2-1 lead.
Game 3 tips off at 7:10 pm ET on Thursday, April 24th, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons Odds (Game 3)
The opening Knicks vs Pistons Game 3 point spread favors New York by a single point. On the moneyline, the Knicks are slim -115 favorites, which equals a 53.49% implied win probability. The Pistons come back as -105 underdogs (51.22% implied win probability). The game total has opened at 215.5 with -110 odds each way.
Odds as of April 21 at DraftKings. Check out SBD’s list of the best online sportsbooks.
The Knicks, who entered the series as heavy -425 favorites, are now just -250 to win the best-of-seven series. The Pistons, who were +310 underdogs ahead of Game 1, have improved to +200. Neither team is seen as a title contender, though. New York is a +4000 in the latest NBA Championship odds while the Pistons are +40000 longshots.
The winner of Pistons/Knicks will advance to face the winner of the #2 Boston Celtics/#7 Orlando Magic series in the second round of the NBA playoff bracket. Boston leads 1-0 and is a hyper-short -8000 favorite to advance.
Pistons Even Series at 1-1
After blowing an eight-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 1 (thanks to a 21-0 New York run), the Pistons finished what they started in Game 2. Detroit had a seven-point lead after the first quarter and New York never led thereafter. The Knicks did manage to tie the game at 94-94 in the final minute before a Dennis Schroder three put the Pistons on top for good.
Cade Cunningham dominated with a 33-point, 12-rebound, double-double in just his second career playoff game. Detroit’s defense generated 14 turnovers (eight steals) while holding the Knicks to just 42.7% from the field (34-80).
Jalen Brunson, who scored 34 in the Game 1 victory, had 37 points and seven assists in a losing effort for the Knicks in Game 2, but shot just 12-of-26 from the field.
Will Detroit Have a Home-Court Advantage?
The Pistons were one of the few NBA teams that didn’t win more games at home than they did on the road, going an identical 22-19 home and away.
The Knicks were one of the better road teams during the regular season, as well, going 24-17 on the road (and 27-14 at home). Only three teams – the three best in the league (OKC, Cleveland, Boston) – won more road games than the Knicks this year.
New York’s regular-season exploits included a road victory in Detroit: 128-98 on Nov. 1st. But the Pistons answered back with a 115-106 home win on Apr. 10th, their third win in four regular-season games against the Knicks this season.
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The New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons are set to face off in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series, and the odds are heating up as the series progresses. The Knicks currently hold a 2-0 lead in the series, but the Pistons are looking to bounce back and make a statement in Game 3.
As of now, the odds for Game 3 have the Knicks as slight favorites, with a spread of -3.5 points. This means that the Knicks are expected to win by at least 4 points in order to cover the spread. The over/under for the game is set at 215 points, indicating that oddsmakers are expecting a high-scoring affair.
In terms of the series price update, the Knicks are currently heavy favorites to advance to the next round. The series price for the Knicks is -500, meaning that bettors would have to wager $500 on the Knicks in order to win $100. On the other hand, the Pistons are listed at +400, indicating that a $100 bet on the Pistons would result in a $400 payout if they were to come back and win the series.
Both teams have shown flashes of brilliance throughout the series, with the Knicks relying on their strong defense and balanced scoring attack, while the Pistons have been led by their dynamic backcourt duo of Derrick Rose and Cade Cunningham. Game 3 is sure to be a closely contested battle, as both teams look to gain momentum and take control of the series.
Overall, the odds for Game 3 and the series price update indicate that the Knicks are in a favorable position to advance, but the Pistons are not to be counted out just yet. It will be interesting to see how both teams perform in Game 3 and if the Pistons can make a comeback in the series. Stay tuned for what promises to be an exciting matchup between these two Eastern Conference rivals.
