Playoff position is still on the line for the New York Knicks, and they’re looking to take care of business against the Chicago Bulls, who are well out of the play-in race in the Eastern Conference.

New York holds the No. 3 seed in the East, but it has some work to do if it wants to pass Boston for the No. 2 seed before the end of the regular season. 

Chicago won the first meeting between these teams, but the Knicks have won the last two meetings by 12 and six points. New York is heavily favored at home after it ended a road trip with a win over a short-handed Memphis team.

Jalen Brunson (ankle) did not play in that game, but he’s off the injury report for Friday’s game at Madison Square Garden.

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New York has dominated at home, going 27-9 straight up while covering in 23 of those 36 games. Can they keep that up on Friday?

Here’s a look at the betting odds, a player prop to consider and my prediction for Friday’s Eastern Conference battle. 

Bulls vs. Knicks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Bulls +15.5 (-110)Knicks -15.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Total

236.5 (Over -115/Under -105)Bulls vs. Knicks How to WatchDate: Friday, April 3Time: 7:30 p.m. ESTVenue: Madison Square GardenHow to Watch (TV): NBA TVBulls record: 29-47Knicks record: 49-28Bulls vs. Knicks Injury ReportsBulls Injury ReportZach Collins – outNoa Essengue – outJosh Giddey – questionableTre Jones – questionableMac McClung – probableLachlan Olbrich – probableNick Richards – questionableAnfernee Simons – outJalen Smith – outGuerschon Yabusele – probableKnicks Injury ReportBulls vs. Knicks Best NBA Prop Bet

Note: This player prop pick was made before odds were released and is based on past player performance. 

Knicks Best NBA Prop BetJalen Brunson OVER Assists

Jalen Brunson averaged 8.9 assists per game in the month of March, pushing his season average to 6.7 per game in the process.

Now, the star guard has a favorable matchup against the Bulls, who rank 28th in the NBA in opponent assists per game. Chicago has a bottom-10 defensive rating since the All-Star break, and the Knicks offense should be able to thrive at home.

Brunson has nine, three and seven dimes in his games against the Bulls this season, but his potential assists per game have skyrocketed since the break. He’s averaging 12.2 potential assists per game in his last 20 games compared to 11.7 for the 2025-26 season as a whole.

The Knicks star is worth a look in Friday’s matchup against one of the worst defenses in the NBA. 

Bulls vs. Knicks Prediction and Pick

It’s tough to bet against the Knicks at home, as they’re 20-13 against the spread as home favorites and 3-0 ATS as home dogs.

They have handled the Bulls in back-to-back meetings, even though their last win in Chicago came by just six points. 

The Bulls are struggling since the All-Star break, ranking in the bottom 10 in the NBA in net rating (-7.3). They’ve also listed Josh Giddey and Tre Jones as questionable for this game, which could be a big blow to their already pedestrian offense.

Josh Hart called Wednesday’s win over Memphis a must-win game, and the Knicks likely feel that way on Friday with the Cleveland Cavaliers on their heels for the No. 3 seed in the conference.

I’ll trust the Knicks to get the job done at home where they are one of the best teams in the league this season. 

Pick: Knicks -15.5(-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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