New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons Prediction & Best Bet - 1/5/2026
Updated January 5, 2026
Updated January 5, 2026
Two of the top Eastern Conference teams square off when the New York Knicks visit the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. This early January game is a huge one for both squads as the Pistons hold the best Eastern Conference record while the Knicks are in second place. Here, I take a closer look at this huge game in the NBA and bring you my Knicks vs Pistons prediction.
Pick: | Knicks -2.5 |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
Add ATS as a Preferred Source on Google
The Pistons enter this contest as the Eastern Conference’s top team with a 25-9 record, sitting three games ahead of the second-place Knicks. Detroit is playing at home and has been particularly strong in front of its fans, compiling a 12-3 home record. The Knicks arrive in Detroit having lost three straight games, struggling on both ends of the floor as of late. Their defense has slipped, and offensive rhythms have been inconsistent in recent outings.
Injuries have been a problem for the Knicks of late, with Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson both missing recent games. Robinson is off the injury report ahead of this matchup, but Hart is listed as out again. At the same time, the Pistons are confronting their own injury setbacks. Center Jalen Duren and forward Tobias Harris are sidelined, which could give the Knicks the upper hand in the health department for once.
Jalen Brunson leads the Knicks with an elite scoring pace at 29.3 points per game while also dishing out 6.5 assists per contest. Karl-Anthony Towns provides interior scoring and rebounding, with the ability to hit shots from the outside as well. Detroit’s offensive identity centers around MVP-caliber guard Cade Cunningham, who averages 26.7 points per game with 9.6 assists. With Duren and Harris out, the Pistons will depend more on Cunningham and bench contributors like Marcus Sasser and Isaiah Stewart to keep things operating at a high level on both ends of the floor.
Player | Prop |
|---|---|
Jalen Brunson | Over 29.5 Points |
Cade Cunningham | Over 9.5 Assists |
Karl-Anthony Towns | Over 11.5 Rebounds |
Score Projection: Knicks 121 – Pistons 117
Win Probability: Knicks 51%, Pistons 49%
This is going to be a tight game despite neither side being at full strength. I am leaning toward the Knicks getting the win in this matchup between elite Eastern Conference teams, with the absence of Duren being a huge problem against a Knicks team that should have both Towns and Robinson on the floor at times.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
Affiliate Disclosure
ATS.io uses affiliate links. If you sign up through a link on this page, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Rankings are based on hands-on testing and published criteria, and affiliate relationships do not determine placement.
