New York Knicks vs Chicago Bulls Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Opening Week
New York is winless and favored by 7.5 on the road, a price that only makes sense against this Chicago defense. The Bulls have allowed 129.5 points per game, the worst mark in the league, and a desperate favorite with Jalen Brunson usually finds its first win in a place like this. The question is the margin.
The Matchup
New York is 0-3, and the offense is the surprise problem. The Knicks score 101.7 points per game this season, the lowest mark on tonight's board, while allowing a respectable 108.0. Jalen Brunson leads New York at 22.7 points per game, but he is also the assists leader at only 3.7 per game, which says the ball is sticking.
Karl-Anthony Towns has rebounded at 12.0 per game and given the Knicks a second star, and New York went 53-29 last season, so patience is fair. Jose Alvarado is out tonight with a sprained left ankle, which thins the bench behind Brunson.
Chicago is 1-3 with the league's most extreme split. The Bulls score 110.8 points per game and allow 129.5, a defensive number so bad it bends every game they play in. Caleb Wilson leads Chicago at 21.0 points per game, Josh Giddey runs the offense at 7.2 assists per game, and Jalen Smith leads the Bulls at 7.5 rebounds per game.
Nic Claxton is out tonight with a hamstring injury, which removes Chicago's best rim protector from a defense that had little protection to spare. Patrick Williams is day-to-day with soreness in his right groin. Chicago went 31-51 last season and defends like it.
DraftKings makes winless New York a 7.5-point road favorite at the United Center, with a total of 234.5. Prices like this are a verdict on the home defense, and everyone can see why.
Key Factors
Brunson against Chicago's perimeter defense is the mismatch the favorite needs. The Bulls cannot keep guards out of the paint, and Brunson lives there, drawing fouls and finding Towns on the short roll. New York's 101.7 points per game came against defenses with actual resistance. This is not one of them, and the Knicks' first good offensive night of the season is easy to picture here.
The cover is a different question from the win. Chicago scores enough to keep the margin honest. Giddey's pace produces points in transition before New York's defense is set, and Wilson has been a genuine first option. A team allowing 129.5 loses plenty of games by single digits because its offense keeps trading baskets, and the underdog only needs the trading to last long enough.
New York's urgency cuts both ways. A desperate favorite plays its starters heavy minutes and keeps attacking with a lead, which helps a margin. A desperate favorite also tightens up if Chicago is still close in the fourth quarter, and a winless team's late possessions have looked hurried all month. Chicago just needs to be within two possessions late for the points to matter.
New York should finally win a game here, but a winless team that cannot score is being asked to win by eight on the road, and Chicago's offense is good enough to answer runs even while its defense leaks. The Bulls lose this game and still cover it more often than not. Take the Chicago Bulls +7.5 at -115.
Game information
| DATE | Wednesday (10/28) |
|---|---|
| START TIME | 7:00 PM CT |
| HOW TO WATCH | League Pass |
| VENUE | United Center |
| SPREAD | New York Knicks -7.5 |
| TOTAL | 234.5 |
| MONEYLINE | New York Knicks -270 |
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Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.