The defending NBA champion New York Knicks aim to level their record in an Eastern Conference matchup against the visiting Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET in New York.
Team Form and Matchup Odds
Chicago enters the game following a 126-107 defeat against Philadelphia on Monday, extending their losing streak to five games. The Bulls hold a 1-6 overall record and a 1-4 away record this season. Meanwhile, New York secured a 103-90 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, bringing their record to 3-4 overall and 2-2 at home. The Knicks sit fourth in the Atlantic Division and will play without Josh Hart, who has been ruled out with an ankle injury.
According to CBS Sports Headlines, the Knicks are listed as 11.5-point favorites, with the money line set at Knicks -592 and Bulls +450. The over/under total for the game is established at 233.5 points.
SportsLine Projection Model Insights
The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, has generated specific predictions for Wednesday’s contest. The model enters Week 3 of the 2026-27 season on a 26-11 run on top-rated spread picks and has generated nearly $19,000 in profit for $100 players since 2018.
For Wednesday’s matchup, the model’s simulations point toward the Under on the 233.5 total points line, hitting in 56% of simulations with a projected total of 231 points. The Under trend is supported by historical head-to-head meetings, having hit in two of the last three encounters, as well as in Chicago’s last two games and eight of New York’s last 10 contests. Furthermore, the Knicks currently allow the third-fewest points in the league at 105.1 per game.
Individual player projections indicate that two Chicago players—Caleb Wilson and Norman Powell—are projected to score 16 points or more. For New York, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby are projected to eclipse 17 points each.
Beyond the total, the model’s possession simulations indicate that one side of the 11.5-point spread hits in nearly 60% of scenarios.
