Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks Game 1 Preview, Prediction & Odds | April 19, 2025

The Detroit Pistons travel to Madison Square Garden to play the Knicks in the first game of their playoff series this Saturday. The last time these two met the Knicks fell to the Pistons behind Cade Cunningham’s 36 points. The Pistons have a lot of doubters on if they are just a Cinderella story or an actual playoff threat. They come into New York with the longest postseason losing streak in the league hanging over them.

The currently have a 14-game playoff losing streak and are making the playoffs for the first time since 2019. New York has a long history of beating Detroit but they know as good as anyone that this isn’t the same team who went 14-68 last season. Detroit has won the last three meetings between these two teams. This is most significant because it broke a streak of 16 straight losses to the Knicks over the last five years. 

Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks Odds

Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks Match Details

• Date and Time: Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 6:00 PM EST
• Location: Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

Pistons Looking To End Postseason Losing Streak

No matter what happens in this series, the Detroit Pistons have had a historic season. They were the first team in NBA history to triple their win total from the previous season. The 30-win improvement was headed by the young star Cade Cunningham and now him and the Pistons find themselves ready to face another hill which this franchise has struggled for years to get over. That obstacle is of course postseason success.

The Detroit Pistons are appearing in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, where they were swept in the first round. The Detroit Pistons’ playoff woes extend all the way back to May 2008 when the team last won in the postseason. Some critics believe that this team’s miraculous season will run out of steam against the Knicks, and they are 7.5 point underdogs in this game. However, I will be watching to see how this team responds to the moment and I don’t think they are likely to be swept this year like they have in prior playoff appearances.

Knicks Ready to Prove the Doubters Wrong

The New York Knicks have recorded 50-win seasons in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1993-94 and 1994-95 coming into this contest. This second season coming after aquiring Karl Anthony-Towns and Mikal Bridges. The Knicks are well coached but might be lacking depth. Their starting five led the entire league in minutes during the regular season and they will need to find support off of the bench to beat the young Pistons team.

This is, however, only the first game of the playoffs and with Madison Square Garden fired up it will be hard to bet against the Knicks. As long as New York plays smart and forces the young Detroit team into mistakes and turnovers they could easily cover the spread in this game and make a statement.

Final Pick

New York Knicks -7.5 (-110).