New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls Predictions, Odds, Picks

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

Oct. 28, 2021

Michael Crosson
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

Eastern Conference NBA action will resume on Thursday night with a highly anticipated showdown between the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls. Coverage begins at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBATV.

Score Prediction

Bulls 111, Knicks 102

Best Bets

Chicago -2

DeMar DeRozan Points Over

New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls Predictions

After finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference with an impressive record of 41-31 last year, New York’s true colors finally began to show through at the offensive end during the opening round of the postseason against Atlanta, considering the Knicks scored just 97 PPG across their brief five-game series loss to the Hawks.

New York has looked excellent to kick off the new season though, considering the Knicks head into Thursday’s matchup boasting a solid 3-1 mark, which consists of victories over the Sixers and Celtics – and a 1-1 split against the Magic.

On the other hand, after missing the Play-In Tournament by just two games last year, Chicago decided to completely reload with star power this past offseason – as Zach LaVine now wields a stealthy arsenal of running-mates in Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso, and some other new faces, which should presumably lift Chicago to the next level.

So far, so good for the new-look Bulls in the early stages though, as Chicago stands as the last undefeated team in the conference with a perfect 4-0 record, which includes wins over the Pelicans, Raptors – and a pair of wins over the Pistons.

I’ll lay the points at home with Chicago here, as the Knicks posted a 16-20 record away from Madison Square Garden last season – and I doubt they’ll find much success in a hostile environment against this newly revamped Bulls squad on Thursday night.

New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls Pelicans Betting Odds

More Odds | Futures Odds

Odds Provided by BetMGM - Subject to Change

• Knicks +105
• Bulls -125
• Knicks +2 (-110)
• Bulls -2 (-110)
• Over 215 (-110)
• Under 215 (-110)

New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls Betting Resources

• Matchup: Atlantic vs. Central
• Date: Thursday, October 28, 2021
• Venue: United Center
• Location: Chicago, Illinois
• TV-Time: NBATV - 8:00 p.m. ET

• Injury Report

New York Knicks Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 3-1
• ATS: 3-1
• O/U: 3-1
• ATS - Home: 2-1
• ATS - Away: 1-0

Out of all the surprises throughout the league last season, New York’s overwhelming success might have been the biggest, as the Knicks finished fourth in the East with a remarkable tally of 41-31 – earning much-needed homecourt advantage over Atlanta in the opening round of the playoffs.

Unfortunately, New York’s valiant regular-season effort never really blossomed into anything, considering the Knicks looked completely outmatched by Atlanta at both ends of the floor during the first round of last year’s playoffs – resulting in an easy five-game series victory for the Hawks.

In my opinion, the Bulls’ new additions don’t quite elevate them into Atlanta and Philadelphia’s tier – but Chicago does seemingly exist on the outskirts of that category now, and they should consistently handle business at home against middle-tier squads like the Knicks.

Chicago Bulls Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 4-0
• ATS: 4-0
• O/U: 2-2
• ATS - Home: 2-0
• ATS - Away: 2-0

After falling just two games short of reaching last year’s Play-In Tournament, Chicago finally decided to go out and acquire some help for LaVine before the start of this season – and it’s worked out flawlessly so far, as the Bulls currently stand as the last unbeaten team in the conference.

Personally, I’m not ready to jump to any drastic conclusions regarding Chicago just yet, as we still haven’t seen the Bulls match up against any legitimate contenders from either conference yet – considering their first four victories of the year came against subpar opponents in the Pelicans, Raptors, and Pistons (2).

The Chicago Bulls have covered the spread in four straight games. (AP)

New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls Head-to-Head

The Knicks won two-of-three regular-season matchups against the Bulls last year, with all three of those contests staying under the total set for Thursday’s affair (OU 216).

The results of those matchups should be taken with a grain of salt though, considering the Bulls made several significant roster changes before the start of this year.

Key Players to Watch

• NYK: Julius Randle - PF (25.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 6.5 apg)
• NYK: R.J. Barrett - SG (12 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
• CHI: Zach LaVine - SG (25.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.8 apg)
• CHI: DeMar DeRozan - SF (22.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.5 apg)

Injuries

• NYK: Nerlens Noel - C (Out)
• CHI: Zach LaVine - SG (DTD)

New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls Betting Conclusion

After shooting out to an impressive 4-0 start, the Bulls will head into their fifth matchup of the new season as narrow home favorites over the visiting Knicks – marking the first time New York has been an underdog this year.

I’ll lay the points with Chicago here, as the Bulls’ offseason additions should comfortably elevate them in matchups against middle-tier squads like the Knicks – which is why I’m also backing DeMar DeRozan to have a solid night on the scoreboard in Thursday’s affair.

New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls Betting Trends

• New York has covered the spread in three of its last four games.
• Chicago has covered the spread in four straight games.
• New York has gone OVER the point total in three of its last four games.

VegasInsider Staff

More from VegasInsider Staff