Is it starting to feel real, Detroit Pistons fans?
After being the laughing stock of the league for the 2023-24 season, going just 14-68 which included a record 28-game losing streak, the Pistons are locked into a playoff series with the New York Knicks.
With the Pistons losing to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday and the Knicks locking up their spot ahead of the Indiana Pacers, the postseason picture for the top-6 teams in the Eastern Conference was set.
Buy Pistons home playoff tickets vs NYK
The Pistons will be the 6-seed, the lowest among the teams who don’t have to battle it out in the play-in tournament for the final two spots. That means starting the postseason on the road with a trip to Madison Square Garden where the Pistons will face a raucous crowd at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
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Between the Pistons having to start the series on the road and the Knicks’ playoff experience, among other reasons, the oddsmakers have the Pistons listed as a pretty significant underdog.
Despite the odds, the Pistons (44-37) and All-Star guard Cade Cunningham have fared well against the Knicks (50-31) and their star-laden roster. The Pistons are 3-1 against the Knicks this season, with the most recent matchup coming Thursday night in a 115-106 Pistons comeback win in Detroit.
Here are the betting odds and more information for the Pistons vs. Knicks series:
WHAT IS AHEAD: Pistons vs Knicks playoff schedule: When will NBA release series game dates, times?
Who is favored in Pistons vs Knicks playoff series? Odds
- Odds: Knicks -350, Pistons +275.
The Knicks were one of the preseason favorites in the East alongside the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, and while it wasn’t always smooth sailing, the Knicks have a loaded team with the likes of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. So it’s not surprising the Knicks are favored to advance in the first-round series.
Odds provided by BetMGM as of Saturday afternoon.
Pistons vs Knicks Game 1 odds for playoff series
- Game 1 spread: Knicks by 7 points.
- Game 1 moneyline odds: Knicks -295, Pistons +240.
- Game 1 over/under: 219½.
The odds for Game 1 look similar to the odds for the series, with the Knicks significantly favored.
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook.
Pistons odds to win Eastern Conference, NBA Finals
- Pistons odds to make NBA Finals: +8000.
- Knicks odds to make NBA Finals: +1200.
The Pistons and Knicks are both considered to be longshots to make the NBA Finals. The Pistons are 80-1, meaning a $1 bet on the Pistons would return $80 should they win the East.
The Celtics as the clear favorite at -145. The Cleveland Cavaliers are second at +165.
ANALYSIS: Pistons will have spotlight in basketball’s mecca vs Knicks in playoffs
Cade Cunningham stats, odds for Pistons playoffs
- Cade Cunningham points over/under: 25.9 points per game.
The NBA regular season hasn’t even ended yet, but there is already plenty you can bet on. Cade Cunningham’s over/under for points per game in the entire playoffs has been set just below 26 a game. It feels like if the Pistons are going to have a chance in this series, that number will have to be an easy hit.
Contact Andrew Birkle at [email protected] or follow him on X at andrew_birkle.
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