Not long after the 2026 NBA Finals concluded, the Summer League takes action in Las Vegas. It’s time for future stars and young players fighting for roster spots to shine. One of the first games on Monday’s slate is between the Knicks and Pistons—two Eastern Conference titans.
Detroit is an 8.5-point favorite and -355 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Knicks are +280 and the game total is set at 167.5 points.
Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Knicks vs. Pistons game.
Knicks vs. Pistons prediction, preview
It’s no secret that the Knicks’ Summer League roster is lacking talent. The team is coming off its first NBA title in 53 years, and that meant trading away a handful of draft picks to acquire championship pieces. Additionally, New York has consistently traded back in the draft to regain some draft capital in the form of second round selections. Tyler Nickel and Jack Kayil are two second rounders from the 2026 NBA Draft to keep an eye on this summer.
There’s no guarantee that either will play much in the regular season, but these two join a few young players on the Knicks roster entering the 2026-27 season. Mohamed Diawara and Pacome Dadiet, a second-year and third-year player, respectively, highlight the summer roster as well. These are two of the most experienced members of the Summer League team, having been on the championship roster this past season. While neither played much outside of garbage-time minutes, their development will be under a microscope. Diawara, especially, is expected to take a leap in both his development and playing time after signing a multi-year extension with the Knicks this offseason.
The Pistons are in a similar situation with their young core. Most of their talent is beyond its Summer League days, so this Las Vegas roster is extremely thin. The team doesn’t have any first round picks from 2024, 2025, or 2026 on the Summer League team and has just three second-round picks across the 2025 and 2026 drafts. While other squads have a a few stars in the making, the Pistons’ Summer League team is filled with players trying to find their footing in the NBA.
Detroit lost its opener 101-93 to the 76ers on Thursday, July 9, but it bounced back with a 103-94 victory vs. the Cavaliers on Sunday, July 12. The Knicks have been terrible through two games, losing 91-65 to the Nets on Friday, July 10 and 70-49 to the Spurs on Saturday, July 11. Luckily, the team has an NBA championship to hide the Summer League flaws.
Knicks vs. Pistons pick, best bet
The Knicks are playing pathetic Summer League basketball, holding a league-worst -23.5 point differential through two games. They’re scoring 57 points per game, but at least they’re allowing only 80.5 points per game. The defense and some of the individual performances are the only positives to take away from New York’s Las Vegas trip thus far.
The Pistons aren’t a powerhouse, but their +0.5 point differential is much better than the Knicks. Sure, a two-game sample size isn’t a fair judgement point, but there’s not much more to expect from New York. The team is evaluating individual performances to see which young players find a spot on the regular season roster. With so many veterans returning from the championship team, there’s only a few open spots remaining.
All this to say: Knicks will lose again, and it wouldn’t be surprising if its in a blowout. For additional juice, parlay the Pistons’ -8.5 spread with the game’s total under.
Best Bet: Detroit Pistons -8.5 (-102)
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