Being in the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoffs really only means you've got four more games to play in the playoffs and don't get any Ping-Pong balls in the lottery, but for the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons, getting into the postseason is a sign of what might be to come in the future for budding teams. That's why this game on Thursday between these two is so crucial as we head deeper into the second half of the season.
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SCHEDULING
The Pistons are on a bit of a downturn right now, losing to both Cleveland and Toronto on consecutive nights over the weekend. They've got to play both Brooklyn and Boston on the road before heading back home for a date with New York, and with this being games on back-to-back nights and three in four days, fatigue could be an issue.
The Pistons are 4-5-1 ATS this year when playing without a day of rest.
The Knicks might be on the road in this one, but they're 15-10 ATS as the guests and at least have a day off to prepare for life in Motown.
KEY MATCHUP
Kristaps Porzingis is back on the court after missing Thursday's game against Toronto with an illness. He hasn't quite been the same guy since he got ill though, totaling 21 points and 13 boards in two games against Phoenix and Golden State. Furthermore, he only played a total of 44 minutes in those games.
Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony on the floor together are a matchup nightmare for a team like Detroit, especially with Robin Lopez out there at the same time. With Ersan Ilyasova battling a thigh injury, Marcus Morris, Anthony Tolliver and Andre Drummond would have to figure out how to stop those three, and we're not sure they can do it.
The Knicks have lost games of late in the backcourt, and Detroit doesn't have that unit with Reggie Jackson, Brandon Jennings and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to really take advantage of the weak New York backcourt as we see it.
KEY STATS & TRENDS
Live bettors have to like what they've seen out of the Pistons this year in the fourth quarter. They've outdone teams by a solid 2.5 points per game in the final stanza, and as we all know, live bets are often won and lost in the closing few minutes. Over the course of these last five games, the Pistons are +6.8 points per game in the fourth.
The Knicks have been playing under games like crazy of late, going 5-1 for under backers in their last six overall. None of the games outside of a 103-93 loss to Toronto combined to really threaten the closing total either.
The Detroit bench was embarrassed by New York's bench when these two last met in December. The Pistons combined for just 21 bench points. Derrick Williams and Kyle O'Quinn combined for 30 by themselves off of the Knicks' bench.
If they can get contributions like that from their bench boys in this one, the Knicks could steal a lot of great opportunities for live bettors.
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Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneylines are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker right now! Bet on the NBA today as the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons square off Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. ET at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The matchup will be televised nationally on TNT.
