Knicks vs Bulls Odds: Chicago Slight Favorites
Knicks Battling For Playoff Positioning
The New York Knicks (45-31) visit the Chicago Bulls (36-40) Friday night in a game with playoff seeding implications. The NBA East standings show the Knicks are tied with Orlando for the No. 4 spot, a half-game behind No. 3 Cleveland. The Bulls have the No. 9 spot and are a half-game ahead of Atlanta.
The Knicks have clinched a spot in the play-in but are looking to have a game at home. The Knicks vs Bulls odds see Chicago favored by 1.5 points after New York played last night. The total on the game is 211.5.
New York Knicks vs Chicago Bulls 
Day/Time: Friday, April 5, 2024, 8:00 P.M. ET
Location: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
New York Gets Good News on Anunoby
On the same day the Knicks announced Julius Randle would miss the rest of the season, the team announced OG Anunoby was cleared for contact and resumed 5-on-5 practice. New York is 15-2 with Anunoby playing after he came over in a trade.
The NBA rumors have him missing some more time, however. The Knicks could use his defense, but are still a solid defensive team.
New York defeated Sacramento at home on Thursday, putting it in a tough spot. Teams are 15-18 straight-up after winning at home and playing on the road the following day this season. The Knicks are 21-23 ATS after a win this season, a far cry from their 20-11 ATS record after a loss. New York is just 4-7 ATS playing on consecutive days.
The Knicks have the second-best scoring margin in the East, primarily due to a defense allowing 107.9 points per game. Only Minnesota allows fewer points. New York’s offense is a bit below average, but has been efficient enough to win games. That’s all that really matters.
Bulls Better After Loss
Chicago has been a better team after a loss this season. The Bulls are 24-15 straight-up and 22-17 against the spread. Chicago is on an 11-4 ATS run after a defeat, so it’s not a bad situation for Chicago. The Bulls haven’t been a great home team, but they have played well on the road.
Chicago is 17-21-1 ATS at home and 20-17 when on the road. The Bulls let one get away from them last time, losing to Atlanta at home in a game that would have helped them claim the No. 9 NBA playoff spot and a game at home.
Chicago is a shade above average defensively, but a little below average on the offensive side of things. The Bulls are shooting 46.7% from the field and aren’t any better at shooting 3-pointers.DeMar DeRozan, Coby White and Zach Levine will get some points, but the team needs somebody else to step up with the scoring.
The teams will play twice more after tonight, so the Bulls will have a tough time holding on to the No. 9 spot. Chicago also has a game with Orlando on the schedule, so four of its final six games are tough ones, making this one a bit more crucial to win.
What to Expect
The Knicks have gone over the total six straight games, but are just 3-3 straight-up in that span. Chicago has gone under the total in four of their last five games, so nothing out of the ordinary is likely to occur in terms of pace. The Knicks have a game at Milwaukee up next, so they could get caught looking ahead a bit.
It’s an important game for both teams as far as playoff positioning goes, which can lead to a little more defense being played. That doesn’t always happen, depending on how teams are shooting from the field. The Knicks will likely be content with trading baskets for a while.
Who to Bet On?
The Knicks vs Bulls odds on the total are definitely on the low side in a season that has seen lots of scoring. Games that have had an over/under of 215 or lower are 59-33-1 (64.1%) this season, so it’s a decent situational spot for the over.
This is just one of four NBA games today with a total less than 215. These games were 34-17-1 in March and have gone 6-2 so far in April, so the over on low totals doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
The Knicks vs Bulls odds on the side are a little tough to bet into. You’re basically being asked to pick the winner of the game. New York is the better team, but having played last night and with Milwaukee up next, it’s hard to be the Knicks.
For this one, the best play to make is probably to tag along with the over trend and play the over 211.5.
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