Planning on watching today’s Bulls and Knicks game? Catch the action at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, as the Knicks hosts this showdown at 8:30 ET on ABC. BetMGM has the over/under line for this matchup is currently at 218.5 points, and the Knicks are favored to win at home against the Bulls.
Chicago Bulls Preview
Heading into today’s game vs. the Knicks, the Bulls are the 9.5-point underdogs. If they are able to pull off the upset, they will improve to just 4-11 on the road this season.
Chicago is also looking to snap a couple of streaks as the underdog. They have dropped two straight games both straight up and against the spread as the underdog. For the season, they have an average scoring margin of -4.9 points per game as the underdog.
In the Eastern Conference, the Bulls are currently in 10th place and sit 4th in the Central Division with a record of 15-20. Against other teams in the East, Chicago has gone 10-14 compared to 5-6 in non-conference matchups.
When looking at their over/under performance for the season, the Bulls have gone 17-17-1. Each of their last six games have finished below the over/under lines, and today’s line of 218.5 is slightly below their average over/under line of 221.8.
In their most recent game, the Bulls fell short of their season average of 109.5 points per game. Against the 76ers, the Bulls shot 38.5% from the field and scored 97 points. On the season, the Bulls are 28th in field goal percentage at 45% and are 24th in three-pointers made and 22nd in three-point percentage.
Chicago’s defense has been playing well, ranking 8th in the NBA with 112.0 points allowed per game. The Bulls defense is coming off a game in which they held the 76ers offense to just 38.5% shooting. Overall, they gave up 110 points to Philadelphia.
New York Knicks Preview
The New York Knicks will host the Bulls as 9.5-point favorites. So far, they are 18-15 and sit 8th in the Eastern Conference. Against other teams in the East, the Knicks have gone 13-9 compared to 5-6 in non-conference games.
When playing at home, New York has been the better team both straight up and against the spread. Their average scoring margin at home is +5.8 points per contest, and they have an ATS record of 8-5 at home.
The Knicks have put together two straight wins at home, and they have also covered the spread in two straight games at home. Overall, New York has been the favorite in 16 of their 33 games and have a record of 12-4 straight up and 10-6 ATS as the favorite.
The over/under record in New York’s games is currently 17-15-1. This season, the majority of their games have had higher over/under lines compared to today’s line of 218.5. The average over/under line for the Knicks’ games this season is 225.8.
In the Knicks’ most recent game, they scored a total of 112 points, which is in line with their season average of 115.2 points per game. Julius Randle was the leading scorer in the game, finishing with 39 points. OG Anunoby also chipped in 17 points for the Knicks.
This season, the Knicks’ defense is the 15th ranked defense in the NBA at 15th PPG. So far, they have held opposing offenses below the NBA scoring average in 57.6% of their games. Opponents are hitting 55.4% of their two-point field goal attempts this season, and they’re also connecting on 37.5% of their three-point attempts.
Last season, the Bulls and Knicks did not face off head-to-head. When looking back over the last three times these two teams have played, the Knicks have the leg up at 2-1. The Knicks also had the edge vs. the spread in these games, at 2-1. These games averaged a combined total of 228 points per game leading to an over/under record of 2-1. The last three times, the Bulls have matched up against the Knicks on the road, they are 2-1 vs. the spread.
How to Bet Knicks vs. Bulls in New York
The Bulls come in as the underdog at +9.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout. Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 218.5 and given that our model is projecting 229 points between the teams, we like the over.
- SportsBettingNY ATS Prediction: Bulls +9.5
- SportsBettingNY OU Prediction: Over 218.5