The New York Knicks will try to make up for one of their ATS blemishes on the season on Friday night as they play host to the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden.
The conference-leading Knicks were tagged with a loss by the Bulls back on December 8, falling 93-85 in Chicago as a 2-point road favorite on the NBA betting lines at the sportsbooks. That combined score made the contest an UNDER result on the totals.
New York battles the Bulls, currently with a 14-10 mark (9-15 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, important for totals bettors, are 13-10-2 for the Knicks and 8-16 for the Bulls. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news).
View Chicago vs New York Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
New York opened as 7.5-point favorites at online sportsbook Sportsbook, while the NBA total was sitting around 188 at Sportsbook for those who prefer OVER/UNDER betting.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new Power Rankings at Odds Shark, it's the No. 11-rated Knicks and the No. 7-rated Bulls in this matchup. Predictive computer formulas point to a 102-98 win for the Knicks on Friday.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up New York's No. 5-ranked offense (102.8 PPG) against a Bulls defense that ranks No. 2 at 90.3 PPG. The Knicks have averaged 45% from the field per game, more than the Bulls have managed so far this season (44.1% on average).
Defensively, the Bulls feature the league's No. 6-rated defense on the road, giving up 93.2 points per game. New York, meanwhile, comes in at No. 4 in the league in scoring at home.
Chicago won its last outing, a 100-89 result against the Celtics on December 18. The Bulls covered in that game as a 1.5-point favorite, while the 189 combined points took the game OVER the total. Luol Deng scored 21 points leading the Bulls to a 100-89 victory over Boston at United Center on Tuesday.
In their last action, New York was a 100-86 Sportsbook at home against the Nets. They covered the 5.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (186) was profitable news for UNDER bettors. The Knicks got a 31-point performance from Carmelo Anthony as New York handed Brooklyn a 100-86 defeat on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
Chicago Bulls Trends:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
Before playing Atlanta are 6-4
After playing Boston are 8-2
After a win are 4-6
New York Knicks Trends:
When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing Minnesota are 3-7
After playing Brooklyn are 9-1
After a win are 7-3
A few Bulls at Knicks trends to consider:
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing New York
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Chicago's last 14 games
Chicago is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
New York is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games at home
New York is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New York's last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New York's last 10 games when playing at home against Chicago
Next up:
Chicago at Atlanta, Saturday, December 22
New York home to Minnesota, Sunday, December 23
