There are ten games around the Association on Wednesday night, bringing plenty of intriguing markets to the sports bettors, so here’s the best Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks betting pick for their Eastern Conference showdown at Madison Square Garden.
The Bulls and Knicks split their first two encounters of the season and will decide a winner of a three-game series in this one. New York opens as a 5-point home favorite, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, while Chicago is a +170 moneyline dog with a total of 207.0 points.
The Knicks miss Mitchell Robinson (foot) and Alec Burks (medical protocols) for Wednesday’s clash, while the Bulls are without Zach LaVine (medical protocols) and Troy Brown Jr. (ankle).
Chicago aims for its second straight win, as the Bulls playoff chase continues
The Chicago Bulls (26-35; 32-28-1) are coming off a surprising 110-102 victory at the Miami Heat this past Monday, recording their fourth win in the last six games overall. Although they were listed as 6-point underdogs at American Airlines Arena in Miami, the Bulls battled bravely and took full advantage of the Heat’s awful shooting night.
Miami made only 19.4% of its 3-pointers, while Chicago shot 53.2% from the field and 37.9% from beyond the arc. Nikola Vucevic and Daniel Theis tortured Miami’s frontcourt and combined for 47 points and 23 rebounds, while Thaddeus Young posted a line of 10 points, nine boards, and eight assists in 26 minutes off the bench.
Despite Zach LaVine’s absence, the Bulls continue to chase the No. 10 seed in the East and are only one game out of the playoff picture. Chicago ranks 17th in the league in offensive efficiency (111.4 points per 100 possessions) and 16th in defensive efficiency (112.4).
The Knicks just snapped their nine-game winnings streak
The New York Knicks (34-28; 39-22-1 ATS) are coming off a 118-110 home loss to the Phoenix Suns last Monday, as their tremendous nine-game win streak finally came to an end. The Knicks led by as many as 15 points, but their game fell apart midway through the fourth period.
New York leans on its stout defense, and the Knicks wasn’t at their best on Monday, allowing the Suns to score 62 second-half points. Julius Randle had a quiet game, finishing with 18 points on 6-for-17 from the field, and he’s been averaging 28.9 points over his previous ten outings.
The Knicks are tied with Atlanta for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, four games behind the third-seeded Milwaukee, while the seventh-seeded Miami Heat are only a couple of games behind. New York scores 110.6 points per 100 possessions (20th in the NBA) and yields 108.5 in a return (4th).
Trends:
Chicago:
- 2-8 ATS in the last ten road games against the Knicks
- 1-5 ATS in the last six outings on the road as dogs of five or fewer points
New York:
- 5-2 ATS in the last seven games against Chicago
- 12-1 ATS in the last 13 games overall
- 15-4 ATS in the last 19 outings as favorites
The Knicks are enjoying a wonderful season, but they still have to finish strong and try to avoid the play-in tournament or even secure the home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. On the other side, the Bulls are chasing the play-in spot, so we should see a great battle at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
New York and Chicago met twice in February. The Bulls won the opener as 3.5-point home favorites, 110-102 while the Knicks bounced back as 1.5-point road dogs, 107-103. I’m looking for the Knicks’ defense to make the difference, so give me the hosts to cover. New York has won ten of its last 11 games when listed as a fave while covering nine times in the process.
Pick: Take New York Knicks -5.0 at -110
The Total:
This should be a proper defensive battle, though the over is 8-4 in Chicago’s last 12 games overall and 7-1 in New York’s previous eight. Four of the Bulls’ last six contests produced fewer than 208 points in total, but six of New York’s previous seven games saw more than 207 points on the scoreboard.
On the other hand, four of the last six encounters between the Bulls and Knicks went in the under. New York plays at the slowest pace in the NBA, and I’m looking for the Knicks’ D to edge the Bulls, so give me the under on the totals.
Pick: Go under 207.0 points at -110