Playoff basketball returns to Detroit on Thursday night, as the Pistons host the New York Knicks for Game 3 of their first-round series.
The pregame narrative: Can Cade Cunningham and the Pistons push ahead for a series lead? It’s possible, but I feel better about them at least keeping the game close. On New York’s side, look for a solid contribution from the ever-present Mikal Bridges.
Check out my Knicks vs. Pistons playoff SGP predictions for Game 3 on Thursday, April 24.
Knicks vs. Pistons predictions
Parlay: Pistons +5.5 | Cunningham over 27.5 points | Bridges 15+ points (+275)
Pistons +5.5 (-250): If you remember the “Goin’ To Work” era of Pistons basketball, you know how long it’s been since Detroit was relevant come playoff time.
Monday night’s win in New York marked Detroit’s first playoff victory since May 26, 2008. It’s been a long time coming, but Detroit is no longer an NBA doormat.
In what is the most anticipated Pistons home game since those early-2000s squads, I expect Detroit to at least hang tough.
- Detroit is 4-2 SU against the Knicks this season.
- The Pistons had an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 1 before a 21-0 run by the Knicks washed it away.
- Detroit is 11-8-1 ATS as a home underdog, per Team Rankings.
NBA SGP legs
Cunningham over 27.5 points (-125): Cunningham’s playoff debut was a bit messy, but he settled in for Game 2 and had a solid night.
The No. 1 overall pick from 2021 finished with a team-high 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting (10-for-12 from the free-throw line).
That’s now eight straight games for Cunningham with 20-plus shot attempts, which gives us a nice floor in terms of scoring opportunities.
In that eight-game sample, Cunningham has averaged 30.8 points.
The first-time all-star has also done plenty of solid work against the Knicks, cashing this bet in four of five matchups since December.
Bridges 15+ points (-180): Bridges, a seven-year vet, played more minutes this season than anyone else in the NBA. He’s not the first or even second scoring option for the Knicks, but he’s always around.
The 3-point stroke hasn’t been there for Bridges yet this series, as he’s just 3-for-13 from deep. Still, I see merit in this milestone.
- Bridges has 15+ points in 5 of 6 games vs. Detroit this season.
- Against all opponents, Bridges averaged 17.6 PPG.
- He has 15+ points in 16 of his past 21 games — and in four of the anomalies, he finished with exactly 14 points.
If the 3-point shooting turns around a bit, this should be a breeze. But I still like the play regardless.
Knicks vs. Pistons predictions made at 3:00 p.m. ET 04/23/2025.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.