It’s been a somewhat bumpy start for the New York Knicks after a busy offseason, but they’ll look to take another step in the right direction as they battle the Chicago Bulls tonight.
New York moved back to .500 with an NBA Cup win in Philadelphia last night, and my Bulls vs. Knicks predictions look for the hosts to dominate here against a slumping Chicago team.
Read on for my NBA picks ahead of this November 13 matchup, including whether OG Anunoby can continue his sweet-shooting form.
Bulls vs Knicks prediction
My best bet
Knicks -8 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
Madison Square Garden embraced last season’s New York Knicks in a big way — and there’s an electricity in the building with this current roster equipped to challenge in the East. The New York fans just haven’t had much opportunity to propel their team this year, with the Knicks only playing three of their first 10 games at home.
So MSG should be rocking tonight, and I like New York to ride that homecourt edge to a comfortable victory. I’m laying the points with the hosts and trusting their elite starting five to get the job done against a Chicago Bulls team that’s 1-5 in November.
The Knicks have won six of the last eight meetings between these teams, covering the spread in five of those victories.
With Lonzo Ball out and dealing with an adductor injury (but expected to play), Chicago arrives with questions to answer. The biggest issues are on the defensive end, where the visitors are allowing 120.2 ppg this season — fourth-most in the NBA.
There just aren’t enough above-average defenders on this roster, and it could be a long night for Nikola Vucevic in the pick-and-roll against Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Meanwhile, in true Tom Thibodeau style, the Knicks are operating with a shortened rotation, and Miles McBride is the only bench player likely to play significant minutes.
That might be troubling for some teams, but New York thrives in these situations, with big minutes for Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart, who had a triple-double yesterday against the 76ers.
Bulls vs Knicks same-game parlay
We’ve already established that the New York starters will get all the minutes they can handle tonight, and that feels like a recipe for another strong Anunoby performance.
Durability is the only concern with Anunoby — but as long as he’s healthy, there’s a path to 12-15 field goal attempts and the Over on a line of 16.5 points.
I’m also taking the Over on Vucevic's rebounding prop. He’s posted double-digit boards in five of his last seven outings, and the Bulls are heavily dependent on his work on the glass.
Even with Towns’ perimeter threat pulling him away from the basket, I see Vucevic putting together an impressive stat line, and that includes the offensive boards, where the Chicago big man is averaging 2.5 orpg.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Bulls vs Knicks odds
Bulls vs Knicks live odds
Bulls vs Knicks opening odds
- Spread: Chicago +9 | New York -9
- Moneyline: Chicago +320 | New York -400
- Over/Under: Over 228 | Under 228
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Bulls vs Knicks spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Knicks are understandably big favorites here despite playing on the second night of a back-to-back set, and I’m counting on their efficient offense, which ranks fourth in the league in field goal percentage.
- The Bulls have lost five of their last six games after a solid start, and they’re 2-4 ATS in that span.
- With top-tier crunch-time scorers, New York has cashed the fourth-quarter Over in 26 of its last 35 contests, and I like Brunson to bounce back after a quieter night against Philly.
- The first-half Over has been a winning ticket in 28 of Chicago’s last 42 road games, and the offense showed up with 66 points in the first half against the unbeaten Cavaliers on Monday.
Bulls vs Knicks trend
The Knicks have cashed the Over in 26 of their last 38 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Knicks.
How to watch Bulls vs Knicks
Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
Date: | Wednesday, 11-12-2024 |
Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
TV: | CHSN, MSGSN |
Bulls vs Knicks latest injuries
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