The New York Knicks have needed some good fortune in this series to hold off a determined Detroit Pistons team, but they can punch their ticket to the second round with a win tonight at MSG.
With Detroit in desperation mode after dropping both contests at home, I’m wagering on the visitors to come out swinging, and my favorite Pistons vs. Knicks props and NBA picks for Game 5 on Tuesday, April 29 focus on two of Detroit's key men.
Best Pistons vs Knicks props
Hardaway o2.5 threes (-115)
Hart u21.5 points+rebounds (-120)- Cunningham o7.5 rebounds (+115)
Pistons vs Knicks player props for April 29
Tim Hardaway Jr. Over 2.5 threes (-115 at bet365)
The no-call on Tim Hardaway Jr.’s crucial late 3-pointer in Game 4 grabbed the headlines, but the Detroit Pistons were no doubt comfortable with the ball ending up in their veteran’s hands. Hardaway is averaging 14.3 points per game in the series despite finishing scoreless in Game 2, and he had already drilled four 3-pointers on Sunday before that last-gasp miss.
With 39 of his 50 field-goal attempts in this series coming from beyond the arc, I’m buying into Hardaway's shot-making and taking the Over on 2.5 threes.
He’s gone past this number in three of the first four contests against the New York Knicks, and he made his triples at a 37% clip during the regular season. He’s also no stranger to MSG after two spells in New York.
The Knicks continue to load up on Cade Cunningham, daring other Detroit shooters to beat them — and Hardaway won’t be shy about trying tonight. If the Pistons are going to force a Game 6 back at Little Caesars Arena, it’s up to him to be one of the X-factors.
Josh Hart Under 21.5 points + rebounds (-120 at bet365)
For the most part, we know what to expect from Josh Hart. He’ll log 40+ minutes, crash the boards, and do all the little things as an offensive connector.
But he hasn’t filled the box score quite as effectively in this series. He took a combined 13 shots in Games 2 and 3, and he’s averaging 10.8 PPG across the four contests.
The Pistons are happy to let Hart fire away, as the weakest shooter in the New York starting five, but he’s only attempted nine 3-pointers so far in the series, preferring to keep the ball moving to his teammates.
For this combo prop, that mindset puts a lot of pressure on his rebounding, and I prefer to fade the 21.5 total here.
Hart has been busier on the boards in his last two outings, but there’s plenty of competition for rebounds with Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and OG Anunoby on the floor. A double-digit tally is no guarantee, and there’s room for Hart to deliver a do-it-all performance while still cashing this Under.
Cade Cunningham Over 7.5 rebounds (+115 at bet365)
Cunningham has made a statement in his first playoff series, and he filled the stat sheet in Game 3 with a valiant triple-double. Barring foul trouble, look for Cunningham to log 40+ minutes again here, and there’s real value in the Over for his rebounds prop at plus odds.
He’s averaged 8.8 rebounds per game through the first four matchups and, at 6-foot-6, he’s got the size to battle wings in the paint. New York has some relentless rebounders of its own, but I see Cade being a factor on the boards, in part as a way to spark the fast break.
Cunningham had 18 rebounds across the opening two games at MSG, and it was noticeable that the Pistons rode a huge edge on the boards in their Game 2 victory, with Cade pulling down 12 boards.
They’ll need something similar here in Game 5, and I expect Cunningham to step up with timely rebounds to ease some of the burden on Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris.
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