Knicks vs Bulls Picks & Odds (Dec. 14)
- The Bulls are 4.5-point favorites over the Knicks in Chicago on Wednesday night
- This is the first of three meetings between the teams this season after they split the season series 2-2 in 2021-22
- Read below for the Knicks vs Bulls odds and picks
The New York Knicks (14-13, 7-6 away) are on the road against the Chicago Bulls (11-15, 7-5 home) on Wednesday night. It is the first of two meetings between these teams at United Center this week. They last played at the end of March, with the Knicks claiming a five-point win to tie the season series at two wins apiece.
New York enters this game having won its last four, and with the fourth-best net rating in the NBA over the last 10. Chicago has won two of its last three, but is currently on a 5-9 run after a strong start to the season.
Knicks vs Bulls Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Knicks | +4.5 (-115) | +165 | O 224.5 (-110) |
| Chicago Bulls | -4.5 (-105) | -200 | U 224.5 (-110) |
Odds as of December 13 at BetMGM. Claim the BetMGM Sportsbook promo code.
The Bulls are favored by 4.5 points and priced at -200 on the moneyline in Wednesday’s NBA odds. Chicago owns just a 6-6 record against the spread as the home team in 2022-23. The Knicks have an impressive 8-5 record ATS on the road this season, and went 23-18 ATS in such matchups in 2021-22.
Bulls Trending in the Wrong Direction
Chicago caught fire from three to beat the Mavericks without Luka Doncic and got the better of the Wizards without Bradley Beal. This team is still trending in the wrong direction, however, and remains without Lonzo Ball. Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu are also listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game.
This Caruso dime is unbelievable 😳 pic.twitter.com/prfOOIXWAW
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) December 8, 2022
The Bulls lost to a depleted Hawks team in their last game, with Bogdan Bogdanovic catching fire off the bench. The Knicks are 11th in bench scoring on the season, after placing 23rd by that metric in 2021-22. While New York generally gives its starters big minutes, there are options on their bench who can do damage against Chicago’s second unit.
If Caruso and Dosunmu are out, the Bulls have a problem defending the perimeter. Being active defensively is one way the Bulls protect Nikola Vucevic’s weaknesses on the defensive end, and they rank fifth at forcing turnovers. Making New York give the ball away is not straight-forward, however, as they are sixth in turnover rate.
Knicks on a Good Run
New York appears to have got its season back on track. These four straight wins are not simply thriving in an easy part of the schedule, as they have seen off the Cavaliers, Kings and Hawks in that period, with a win over the Hornets in between. Surprisingly, Charlotte was the highest scoring of those four teams, reaching 102 points against a Knicks defense which ranks best in the Association over the last five games and ninth for the season.
New York’s defense has ridden some luck with poor opponent shooting, and they give up far too many threes. Fortunately, the Bulls are not a team who will make them pay for that even after their hot shooting of late. Chicago is dead last in three-point attempts per game.
Quentin Grimes tonight:
🎯 23 Points
💪 4 Rebounds
❌ 2 Blocks pic.twitter.com/gNBhQAm15R— Knicks Post (@knicks_post) December 8, 2022
On offense, the Knicks still don’t shoot enough threes and their percentage is poor when they take them. They do well at getting to the line, though, and they are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the league, which sets up a good battle against a Chicago defense which ranks number one in the league at defensive rebounding.
Knicks vs Bulls Prediction
These teams have a similar profile. Chicago, despite an offense-first core, is a better defensive team than offensive team, and the same goes for the Knicks. Both concede too many threes, and neither shoot that many. For the season, they are each around middle-of-the-pack in net rating.
Recently, though, the Knicks have clearly been playing at a higher level than the Bulls. Neither are a contender in NBA championship odds, but the Knicks have had positive results by tweaking their rotation to back their younger players like Miles McBride and Immanuel Quickley.
New York have a good record when facing weaker teams — they are 8-1 against teams below .500 on the season. Chicago is 7-10 against teams over .500. Bettors can feel confident backing the Knicks on the moneyline here.
Pick: Knicks moneyline (+165)
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Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
