New York Knicks at Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, February 17 is about as close to a coin flip as the ratings get, with the Pistons at only 54%. Small things like rest, health and shooting variance should decide it.
Why it is so close
The Win Meter reads the Pistons 54%, with a projected score of New York Knicks 115, Detroit Pistons 116. The rating gap is 73 points in favor of the Knicks, and home court and rest add about 99 rating points for the Pistons on top of that.
Readings in this range leave plenty of room for the other side. About 46 times in 100 games like this, the Knicks would win.
Recent form
The Knicks are 0-2 this season and 2-3 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -1.8. The Pistons are 2-0 this season and 3-2 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of +2.2.
The Pistons' best recent win was 115-94 on the road against CLE.
The Pistons were beaten 125-94 at home by CLE not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: Jose Alvarado (NYK), expected back Oct 27, 2026, Ausar Thompson (DET), expected back Oct 27, 2026, Jalen Duren (DET), expected back Nov 9, 2026, and Ugonna Onyenso (DET).
Day to day or questionable: Elijah Harkless (DET) and Isaac Jones (DET). Their status can change before tip-off.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Pistons lead 8-5, with the Pistons outscoring the Knicks by an average of 5.3 points per game. The last meeting was DET 126, NYK 111.