3 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Pistons vs. Knicks in Game 5 of the Playoffs

The NBA playoffs are here, and even within a single game, betting markets are abundant.

You can bet traditional markets like the spread or the total, but we've also got tons of player-prop markets to sift through.

Which bets stand out today as the Detroit Pistons face the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs?

Let's dig into the best bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA betting odds, utilizing FanDuel Research's NBA projections to try to find value.

Pistons at Knicks Game 5 Betting Picks

Knicks Over 109.5 Points (-112)

New York comes off its worst shooting performance of the series, converting only 37.4% of its attempts. Despite some shaky offensive numbers at times, the Knicks are still shooting 37.3% from three-point land in the playoffs -- which is slightly above their 36.9% mark (ninth-highest) from the regular season.

Allowing efficient three-point shooting isn't out of the blue for the Pistons as opponents shot 36.7% from deep during the regular season (fifth-highest). Plus, Detroit surrendered the 15th-most made threes per game and the 6th-highest shot distribution from three (per Dunks & Threes).

In Games 2 and 4, New York logged only 94 points in each, but it averaged 120.5 points per game (PPG) over Game 1 and 3. That's a stark contrast, but I'm still comfortable taking the over.

Karl-Anthony Towns is back to his usual self by averaging 29.0 PPG over the last two, helping attack the Pistons' formidable interior defense (fifth-fewest points in the paint allowed per game). Jalen Brunson has had his way all series, totaling 33.3 PPG over four games.

If New York's stars are pouring it on paired with efficient three-point shooting, the over is an ideal bet. DRatings' game projections have the Knicks totaling 111.6 points.

Jalen Brunson Over 29.5 Points (-114)

As mentioned, Brunson has been on a tear all series, including those 94-point outings from the Knicks. He's shot 46.0% from the floor and 35.5% from three-point land, but it hasn't been about his efficiency.

Brunson is attempting 25.0 shots per game along with 7.8 three-point attempts per contest. That's up from 18.5 and 6.1 in the regular season. This is reflected in Brunson's usage rate, too, for its jumped from 30.2% to 34.9% during the postseason. Similar to last season's marks of 26.2 field goal and 6.4 three-point attempts per game in the playoffs, Brunson is taking on another massive role.

Since 2024, Brunson has reached at least 30 points in 11 of 17 playoffs games (64.7%). This includes an average of 25.9 shots per game. Simply from usage rate alone, I like the over for his point prop.

Additionally, Detroit's perimeter defenders have struggled in their task of guarding Brunson. In the playoffs, Tim Hardaway Jr. (114.7 defensive rating), Malik Beasley (115.1 defensive rating), and Dennis Schroder (116.9 defensive rating) all have mediocre defensive ratings.

Jalen Duren Under 10.5 Points (-102)

During the regular season, New York given up the 6th-highest shot distribution around the rim and 10th-most points in the paint per game. This was a concern coming into the series with the Pistons recording the fifth-most points in the paint per contest in the regular season.

However, the Knicks' rim protection has been stingy by giving up only 42.5 points in the paint per game during this series (49.9 in the regular season). This is a huge dip for the Pistons -- who were putting up 52.4 points in the paint per game prior to the postseason. For reference, the Phoenix Suns had the second-fewest points in the paint per game in the regular season at 42.2.

With that said, this is causing a hit to some of Detroit's scorers who look to live in the painted area. Jalen Duren took 98.7% of his shots within 10 feet of the rim during the regular season, and that's up to 100.0% over four playoff games. He's taking only 5.8 shots per game in this series compared to 7.0 during the regular season.

Following posting six points in Game 4, give me under 10.5 points for Duren. The Knicks' interior defense has turned it up a notch led by Towns' 107.8 defensive rating in the playoffs.

You can also check out our latest 2025 NBA Playoffs printable bracket, which includes the seeding and matchups for each conference.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.