Pistons at Knicks Preview: NBA Lines, Odds & Preview

Following a week off for the All-Star Game festivities it’s back to the grind for the NBA with a matchup between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Detroit has been a surprise leading the East for most of the first half with New York boasting the third best record.

The Knicks can make up ground on the teams ahead of them in the standings while also avenging a 38-point loss to Detroit suffered just a few weeks ago. Based on the results of their two meetings, the gap between the clubs is wide. Detroit won each of those games by more than 30 points.

Pistons at Knicks Preview

The third and final meeting of the season between East powerhouses the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks takes place on Thursday, February 19, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET with a live stream on Prime Video.

Public Betting Odds Factors

Despite losing Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren to suspension for their role in a melee with Charlotte, the Pistons closed the first part of the season with a 113-95 win over Toronto to enter the break on a 3-game streak of wins and payouts.

Detroit has been a model of consistency this season and especially since the start of the year. They’ve yet to lose consecutive games going 15-5 since Jan. 1 moving closer to OKC for the best overall record in the NBA.

It’s not like the Pistons snuck up on anyone in the NBA. Last season they won 30 more games than they did in 2023-24 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 6 seasons. And Cade Cunningham was no longer considered a draft bust.

The elite play of Cunningham along with an aggressive defense has allowed the Pistons to go 40-13 maintaining a 5.5 game lead over Boston in the East. Detroit has also been a strong bet on the NBA betting line with payouts in nearly 53 percent of their games.

It was a strange end to the first half for the Knicks splitting their last 4 games with a blowout loss to Detroit and an OT home setback to Indiana. However, they beat Boston on the road and crushed Philly, 138-89, in their last game before the break.

Despite that close to the first half, the Knicks are one of the hottest teams entering the post-break part of the schedule. They won 10 of their last 12 games going 10-2 against the NBA point spread.

The Knicks have been good at MSG boasting a 21-7 record with payouts in an NBA best 67.9 percent of their games.

Pistons at Knicks Predictions

A win would be great, but the Knicks need to show up for their final game of the regular season against Detroit. With both teams likely heading to the postseason there’s a chance of another meeting later. And right now the Pistons have ownership winning the first two games by a total of 69 points.

Detroit’s elite defense has been anchored by the play of Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren. With both players serving their suspension the door is open for the Knicks to not only score, but also dish out punishment to avenge their earlier losses.

Pistons at Knicks Betting Tips

New York has the second-most home wins in the NBA and has been money inside the Garden with a league-best cover margin of 68 percent.

The Pistons are 7-1 SU in their last 8 road games and boast the 2nd highest road winning percentage in the NBA at 72 percent. They also have payouts in 6 of those 8 games.