Usually, when the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks play in April, it is during the NBA playoffs. But the delayed start to the 2020-2021 season has resulted in an April regular-season showdown. In this game, the Bulls will look to work their way back into the playoff spots while the Knicks look to continue their red-hot form.
Chicago Bulls Betting Preview: Now or Never
Entering Wednesday’s action, the Chicago Bulls find themselves a game out of the 10th and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Chicago has won four of its last six games to stay in the mix for the final spot in the play-in tournament in the East. And they will hope to make it five of seven against a top-four seed in the conference, even without the help of Zach LaVine.
LaVine remains out for the Bulls as a result of the league’s health and safety protocols and could return following this matchup with the Knicks. Without their leading scorer, the Bulls will look to exploit their edge on the interior against the Knicks. Nikola Vucevic and Daniel Theis may be too much for Taj Gibson and Nerlens Noel to handle, as both players have given the Knicks trouble in the past.
Even with LaVine back in the near future, the schedule for the Bulls is not set to get any easier. Chicago is set to face the Bucks, Hawks, and 76ers after the Knicks, all of whom are in the top-five in the East standings at this point in time.
New York Knicks Betting Preview: Playing Their Best
The New York Knicks are playing better than the vast majority of the NBA right now. They had a nine-game win streak snapped against the Phoenix Suns on Monday, though they led by 15 in the first half in that contest before succumbing to the superior Suns. Their recent run has propelled them into the top four in the Eastern Conference standings.
Julius Randle has been the driving force for the Knicks during their win streak. Randle has averaged 28.9 points per game over the Knicks’ last 10 games, making 45% of his three-point shots in the process. Against the Bulls, he will need to be stellar on both ends of the floor, as Chicago’s size will require Randle to rebound the basketball in addition to providing his usual scoring touch.
For the Knicks, this game carries some extra significance as it is the final game of an extended homestand. They head out for a six-game road trip after this contest against six Western Conference opponents. Included in that road trip is a five-game stretch in which the Knicks face the Grizzlies, Nuggets, Suns, Clippers, and Lakers consecutively. That stretch could destroy the Knicks’ hopes of finishing in the top four in the East, making this winnable matchup with the Bulls all the more important.
Chicago and New York Odds and Lines
DraftKings has opened this game with the Knicks as five-point favorites at home against the Bulls.
Free Play of the Night
The Knicks are playing better basketball and need to finish their homestand strong before their brutal road trip begins. The Knicks -5 is the free pick of the night in this game.
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