Pistons vs. Knicks vs. Spurs predictions: Odds, recent stats, trends and best bets for October 27

It has been a bumpy start for the NBA Champs this season. Through three games, the New York Knicks are without a win. Tonight, they take on the Detroit Pistons who have won each of their first three games and lead the Central Division.

The Pistons have started impressively on both ends, averaging 118.3 points while allowing 105.7 through three games, whereas the Knicks are scoring just 101.7 per game. Cade Cunningham leads Detroit at 21.3 points and 8.0 assists per game, while Jalen Brunson leads New York at 22.7 points per game and Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 12.0 rebounds.

Detroit's latest win came Sunday, when the Pistons went into Philadelphia and defeated the previously undefeated 76ers 106-93, following victories over Miami (128-111) and Boston (121-113). That gives the Pistons three straight wins to open the year, including two on the road, and continues the momentum from a 60-win 2025-26 season. New York, meanwhile, dropped to 0-3 with a 111-102 home loss to Orlando on Sunday after previously losing 107-103 at Boston and 106-100 to Philadelphia. The most striking early storyline is the contrast between Detroit's efficiency and New York's sluggish offense: the Pistons enter with a 114.8 offensive rating and +12.3 net rating, compared with a 99.2 offensive rating and -6.2 net rating for the Knicks.

Take note of the injury report, though. Detroit center Jalen Duren is out with a right hamstring strain, taking one of the Pistons' primary interior players out of the matchup against Towns. Ausar Thompson is also banged up. He is listed as day-to-day with a right ankle sprain and Isaiah Joe is day-to-day with a hip bruise, while the Knicks will be without Jose Alvarado because of a left ankle sprain. With Duren unavailable, Detroit will have to find another way to handle Towns, who has opened the season averaging 21.0 points and 12.0 rebounds, while New York's biggest challenge is getting more offensive creation around Brunson after failing to reach 108 points in any of its first three games.

Lets take a closer look at the matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.

We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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Pistons vs. Knicks: Game Details and How to Watch

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The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings :

Moneyline: Detroit Pistons (+130), New York Knicks (-155)

This Spread sits right where it opened but the Total has ticked up a point from where it opened.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Pistons vs. Knicks: Expected Starting Lineups

Detroit Pistons (2026-27 Scoring Average)

New York Knicks (2026-27 Scoring Average)

Jalen Duren (hamstring) is OUT for tonight's game

Isaiah Joe (hip) is listed as questionable for tonight's game

Ausar Thompson (ankle) is listed as questionable for tonight's game

Jose Alvarado (ankle) is OUT for tonight's game

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight's game between the Pistons and the Knicks:

Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Pistons on the Moneyline

Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Pistons +3.5

Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 219.5

The sharpest play on the board. The underlying numbers make the case better than the price does. Detroit ranks 5th in offensive rating (118.7) and 4th in net rating (+12.4) with a +13.8 point differential (4th). New York ranks 29th in offensive rating (103.4), 30th in points per game (101.7), 30th in field goals made (36.3 per game), and 30th in halfcourt points per 100 plays (80.7).

Duncan Robinson OVER 2.5 Made Three-Pointers

The best prop on the board, Robinson has connected on exactly five three-pointers in each of Detroit's first three games, making 15 of his 28 attempts from beyond the arc. The matchup is the kicker: New York has allowed 14.7 made three-pointers per game through three contests, and the Knicks rank 21st in three-point percentage allowed (35.8%) and 27th in three-point shot frequency allowed (42.6%). They give up volume from deep.

The companion play, and the hit rate is perfect. Robinson has cleared 12.5 points in 100% of the Pistons' three games this season. He's scored 21, 17, and 21 points and his 72.7% true shooting percentage with 1.44 points per shot attempt on a 20.3% usage rate means he isn't volume-dependent to get there. The projection of 12.47 sits right at the line, but the recent form is running well above it.

The cleanest volume play on the New York side, and the injury news is the reason. Jalen Duren is out for Detroit, which removes the rim protector who would otherwise anchor the interior against a seven-footer averaging a double-double. Towns is averaging 21.0 points and 12.0 rebounds while shooting 62.2% from the field, with games of 19, 22, and 22 points despite playing just 24 minutes in the opener. With Duren out, Detroit's frontcourt combinations shift toward Paul Reed and John Collins, and Towns should be able to create offense both around the basket and from the perimeter more easily against that pair of defenders.

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