The new-look Knicks take on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night on national television.
New York is an favorite against the Bulls, as OG Anunoby makes his second appearance at Madison Square Garden following the blockbuster trade that brought him in from Toronto.
Here’s a look at Bulls vs. Knicks odds, props and predictions ahead of the 8:30 p.m. tip-off on ABC.
Bulls vs. Knicks odds: Point spread, moneyline, total
Here are the latest NBA betting odds for Bulls vs. Knicks:
This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. The Knicks won two of three a year ago. New York is 16-15-2 against the spread this year, while Chicago is 17-17-1.
Bulls betting news & injury report: Chicago coming off blowout loss
Chicago limps into Wednesday night’s game in more ways than one.
Star guard Zach LaVine is still about a week away from returning after a foot injury put him on the shelf on Nov. 28. Leading rebounder Nikola Vucevic also remains out with a groin injury suffered on Dec. 23.
In the four games without both, the Bulls are 2-2, but they’ll be playing in the second game of a back-to-back, the first being a 110-97 loss at Philadelphia that wasn’t even as close as that score would indicate. The 76ers were up 25 after the first quarter and cruised to the win.
The one bright spot to the blowout was the Bulls’ starters didn’t put a ton of minutes on their legs, as only DeMar DeRozan played 30 minutes, his second-shortest outing of the season.
The Bulls have leaned on DeRozan in LaVine’s absence, as his 23.7 points and 6.5 assists per game in December were up from 20.8 and 5 in November.
Center Andre Drummond’s role has grown since Vucevic’s injury, and he’s put up monster numbers on the boards in his extended minutes with 25, 16, 23 and 17 rebounds in his last four outings. That has made up for some pretty inconsistent scoring.
On top of injuries to LaVine and Vucevic, guard Coby White and forward Patrick Williams are game-time decisions.
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Knicks betting news: Anunoby era off to strong start
It’s been only one game, but acquiring Anunoby in a trade that included sending RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto looked pretty good for the Knicks on New Year’s Day.
The 6-foot-7 small forward had 17 points and six rebounds for the Knicks in a 112-106 win against the Timberwolves, which snapped a three-game skid. He also led the team in plus-minus at plus-19. This just a day after arriving at his locker in New York.
Anunoby is known for his defense, and that was maybe the main motivation for the Knicks in the trade. But his 3-point shooting is also key, and even the threat of it will no doubt open things up for Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson. Randle already saw that pay off Monday with 39 points, while Brunson added 16 and a career-high 14 assists.
Brunson remains the team’s leading scorer, averaging 25.6 per game, while Randle checks in at 24 ppg.
The Knicks, who did not play Tuesday, are also relatively healthy. They’re without center Mitchell Robinson, but he went down Dec. 8 and will not return this season. Reserve point guard Malachi Flynn is also out of action.
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Bull vs. Knicks player props picks
Here are two player props we like from BetMGM:
- Jalen Brunson OVER 7.5 assists (+115)
- Julius Randle OVER 26.5 points (-120)
Brunson isn’t likely to match that 14 assist number, and tonight's total is above his season average of 6.2, but eight feels gettable with how the Knicks are now setup.
The fact that BetMGM is offering plus-money on it is enticing, and it's worth a play, as sportsbooks try to figure out how Anunoby’s shooting changes the Knicks offense.
One night after Joel Embiid did whatever he wanted against the Bulls, it’s worth riding the Knicks' biggest inside scoring presence. Randle is averaging 24 points per game, but has cleared 26.5 in each of his last three, going for 38, 28 and 39.
Bulls vs. Knicks prediction ATS
This is a big number, but the Bulls are clearly hobbled, and the Knicks are rejuvenated.
It didn’t take much time for Anunoby to get acquainted with his new teammates, and there’s no reason to think they’ll take a step backward in their second outing.
Pick: Knicks
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