Pistons vs Knicks Picks and Predictions: Stay Positive with Saddiq Bey

The matchup everyone has been waiting for! Tuesday evening sees the floundering New York Knicks host the lowly Detroit Pistons in what may be one of basketball's ugliest affairs this season.

The Pistons are riding high - relatively speaking - after snapping a 14-game losing streak on Sunday in a victory over the Heat. Can they keep it going against a Knicks team that is nowhere near 100%?

Let's dive in a little deeper with our free NBA betting picks and predictions for Pistons vs. Knicks on Tuesday, December 21 with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Pistons vs Knicks odds

Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.

The Knicks opened as 7.5-point favorites but that has slightly been trimmed to -7. The total has mostly remained static at 207 but some books are offering 207.5 at the time of writing.

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Pistons vs Knicks predictions

• Prediction: Pistons +7 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 207.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Saddiq Bey Over 16.5 points (-105)

Predictions made on 12/21/2021 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Pistons vs Knicks game info

• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Date: Tuesday, December 21, 2021
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: MSG, BSDET

Pistons vs Knicks betting preview

Injuries

Pistons: Jerami Grant SF (Out), Kelly Olynyk PF (Out).
Knicks: Derrick Rose PG (Questionable), Miles McBride PG (Out), Immanuel Quickley SG (Out), Kevin Knox II SF (Out), Quentin Grimes SG (Out), RJ Barrett SF (Out), Obi Toppin PF (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Knicks are 0-5 against the spread in their last five home games. Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Knicks.

Pistons vs Knicks picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

The Pistons are objectively terrible. They've won just five times on the schedule, have yet to win back-to-back games, and own the NBA's worst record and second-worst point differential. To make matters worse, they're still without leading scorer Jerami Grant, who is out with a thumb injury for the foreseeable future.

They're playing a truly heinous brand of basketball, but the Knicks aren't much better. New York has just two wins in its last 10 games, and those both came on the road against sub-.500 teams in the Spurs and Rockets. Oddly enough, Madison Square Garden hasn't been a sanctuary for the Knicks this season as they've posted a 5-10 record at home.

Yes, the Knicks defeated the Pistons 108-100 the last time they met in late October, but they had RJ Barrett and Derrick Rose providing positive contributions. Both could miss Tuesday's game, which would leave New York short-handed. Conversely, Grant's absence makes things dicier for Detroit. The Pistons will have to rely on Saddiq Bey, who led the team in scoring en route to Sunday's win over the Heat and has at least 23 points in three straight. And despite his dud against Miami, rookie guard Cade Cunningham was averaging 22 points over the previous eight games heading into Sunday. If Bey and Cunningham can take advantage of a depleted Knicks squad, they'll keep it close.

Check lineups closer to tip-off. If either Barrett or Rose plays, it may be enough to tip the scales in New York's favor.

Prediction: Pistons +7 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

Neither team features a potent offense at the best of times, so with both rosters missing key pieces, the Over - however modest - isn't looking great. Detroit does play at a Top-10 pace, but the Knicks slow things down considerably. The Knicks also rank 22nd in effective field goal percentage at 51.4, while the Pistons circle the drain at 47.9, tied for worst in the Association. 

The Knicks do feature a decent long-range attack with Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier jacking threes, and the Pistons do not particularly guard the perimeter - or anywhere, really - well at all. So, if the game sniffs the Over, it's likely because of them.

Still, with both teams missing important rotation players, this feels like a grind. Expect a sloppy one and take the Under.

Prediction: Under 207.5 (-110)

Best bet

Saddiq Bey is averaging just 13.3 points over 29 games this season, so taking the Over at 16.5 may seem like a coin-flip at best. But in three of the four games since Jerami Grant's thumb injury, Bey's become a more proficient focal point in Detroit's offense. He's averaged 25.7 points over that admittedly small sample, but the Knicks haven't played the most efficient or effective defense, whether at full strength or not. 

There's always the risk that Bey flounders, as he did against the Nets on December 12 when he shot 22% from the floor, including an 0-for-5 brick-a-thon from beyond the arc. He also only played 26 minutes that night and has seen at least 36 in each of his last three games, which has resulted in much more impressive stat lines. 

Pick: Saddiq Bey Over 16.5 points (-105 at DraftKings)

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