The championship glow of ring night quickly went dim for the Knicks after a 0-3 start to the season.
While most fans have been forgiving, the pressure to return to championship form is slowly building on the Knicks as they search for their first win.
They welcome the undefeated Pistons to Madison Square Garden for what is essentially a must-win game for the reigning champs if they want to keep the vibes high.
The Knicks are 3.5-point favorites for the primetime matchup, with the Over/Under hovering around 219.5 total points.
Knicks vs. Pistons prediction
The sky isn’t exactly falling in New York, but there are some concerning trends that have emerged over their three-game skid.
The Knicks have started all their games well, but they’ve faltered in the second half all three times, possibly a sign of tired legs. They’ve committed at least 15 turnovers in every game and look out of sync on offense when trying to make passes to cutting teammates.
Outside of their game against the Celtics in which Miles McBride shot 6-of-8 from beyond the arc, the Knicks have been pretty awful from the 3-point line.
Despite all of those flaws, every game has been winnable down the stretch for the Knicks.
The missing ingredient has been Jalen Brunson.
To his credit, the Knicks captain took responsibility for the team being winless, and tonight’s game offers him an opportunity to remedy his mistakes.
The Pistons have a growing injury report: Jalen Duren is out with hamstring strain and Ausar Thompson is questionable with an ankle sprain.
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Thompson has already missed one game with his injury and is considered day-to-day. He’s taken the defensive assignment against Brunson personally since the two teams met in the playoffs in 2025 and a limited version of Thompson, or no Thompson at all, would allow Brunson to get in rhythm.
Given the Knicks’ record, I expect Brunson to aggressively look to score in this game, and that will be a lot easier without Duren manning the paint and Thompson either out or slightly limited.
Brunson tends to play best when his team’s back is against a wall. While that’s not quite the level of pressure they are facing tonight, I expect the captain to put up some numbers in a prove-it spot.
The Pick: Jalen Brunson Over 25.5 points (-111, DraftKings)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
