by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Dec 21, 2021
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Where to watch: MSG, Bally Sports Detroit
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Knicks -9.5
BetMGM: Knicks -9.5
Caesars: Knicks -9.5
Season record
Pistons: 5-24 (Last place, Eastern Conference)
Knicks: 13-17 (12th place, Eastern Conference)
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Pistons - Knicks preview and analysis
Recent form
Pistons: won 100-90 vs. Heat on Sunday
Knicks: lost 114-107 at Celtics on Saturday
It hasn't been a fun ride for the Detroit Pistons this season, and there's no turnaround in sight.
But as awful as it might be to think of it this way, COVID is going to play its way into upset wins and Tuesday's matchup against the New York Knicks is something to watch for with Detroit.
The Pistons are coming off an upset on Sunday, a 10-point win over the Miami Heat. Saadiq Bey had 26 points, while Cade Cunningham had 10 assists to pace an offense that shot almost 47 percent from the floor while the defense held the banged-up Heat to 37.8 percent shooting.
That win ended the Pistons' 14-game losing streak in what's been a trying time for that group. But Cunningham and Bey have created a worthy two-man tandem that should have Pistons fans excited.
“It’s great to get the monkey off our back,” Bey said. “We know a lot of our losses have been close and down the stretch. It was just good to see that if we execute down the stretch what we can do. We’ve got to build off of it, keep fighting to win every game.”
Rough patches were expected for the Pistons. They're a league-worst 5-24 but are trying to build a foundation with Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick, and he's having a solid rookie season to start, averaging nearly 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game.
He'll need to replicate that performance to get the Pistons a second straight win, but there's a good chance for that. The Knicks have lost five of six and are coming off a 7-point loss at the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
Evan Fournier had his best game as a Knick with 32 points on 13 of 24 shooting, and Kemba Walker returned to the lineup and posted 29 points along with five 3-pointers.
Walker, who has been relegated to the bench for what seems like an eternity, was brought back to the starting lineup because the Knicks literally had no other options due to this ongoing pandemic.
"If I'm not starting, I ain't playing," Walker said about his lack of time on the court. "It is what it is. I'm here for my team, I'm here for my teammates. That's what I'm here for."
Prediction
While it's great that the Knicks are finally using Walker again, they're also down a number of key contributors and it won't get any better. Detroit has more bodies, is coming off an impressive win, and can start to build something slightly with a win. At worse, it's a cover. Pistons by 2
Betting trends
The Pistons are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 off a win by 10 or more as an underdog.
The Pistons are 6-18 ATS off a home win over the past three seasons.
The under is 10-3 in Knicks games after failing to cover three of their last four ATS.
Projected starting lineup
Pistons:
PG: Killian Hayes
SG: Cade Cunningham
SF: Hamidou Diallo
PF: Saddiq Bey
C: Isaiah Stewart
SF: Hamidou Diallo
PF: Saddiq Bey
C: Isaiah Stewart
Knicks:
PG: Kemba Walker
SG: Alec Burks
SF: Evan Fournier
PF: Julius Randle
C: Nerlens Noel
SF: Evan Fournier
PF: Julius Randle
C: Nerlens Noel
Key injuries
Pistons: Jerami Grant (thumb)
Knicks: RJ Barrett (COVID), Obi Toppin (COVID), Immanuel Quickley (COVID), Derrick Rose (ankle)
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
