by Chuck Sommers
Sunday, Nov 21, 2021
Time: 8 p.m. ET, November 21, 2021
Venue: United Center, Chicago, IL
Where to watch: NBC Sports Chicago, MSG
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Bulls -5
BetMGM: Bulls -5.5
Caesars: Bulls -5
Season record
Knicks: 9-7
Bulls: 11-5
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Knicks - Bulls preview and analysis
Recent form
Knicks: lost three of five; won 106-99 vs. Rockets on Saturday
Bulls: won three of four; won 114-108 at Nuggets on Friday
Knicks vs. Bulls (Knicks back-to-back)
The Chicago Bulls will try for their fourth win in five games when they host the New York Knicks for a primetime matchup at United Center on Sunday in this Eastern Conference showdown.
Chicago was able to bounce back Friday with an impressive 114-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets to cap off a five-game road trip in which the Bulls went 3-2.
Zach LaVine went off with a game-high 36 points on 14 of 24 shooting, and DeMar DeRozan had 26 points on 7 of 21 shooting but finished 12 of 12 at the free-throw line to offset the shooting struggles.
Derrick Jones Jr. had 16 points off the bench to go with eight rebounds on 7 of 10 shooting, while Ayo Dosunmu also chipped in with 10 points in 23 minutes while grabbing eight rebounds.
Chicago was lucky that Denver didn’t have reigning MVP Nikola Jokic in the lineup due to a sprained wrist. Given how close of a game that was, if Jokic plays, the Bulls don’t likely have another gear to stop them.
“Any time any team in this league loses a really, really good player, and you’re talking about a guy that’s playing at an incredible level for a long period of time, it’s always a challenge,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.
The Knicks are playing the second night of a back-to-back after winning by seven at home against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. The 8 p.m. ET tipoff may not have as much of a lingering effect as one would expect, but the Knicks have lost three of five and are in need of a win against a quality opponent like Chicago.
Alec Burks had one of his occasional scorch fests in the fourth quarter by scoring 17 of his 20 points, sparking the Knicks overcoming a rough first quarter to eventually pull away in the final 12 minutes. Five players scored in double figures with Evan Fournier adding 19 points and Julius Randle coming within one assist shy of a triple-double (16 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists).
"I was just trying to make winning plays and it just happened like that. Shots went in," Burks said.
Burks was really the only one who could do the shot-making thing, going 6 of 8 in 25 minutes with all of his field goals being 3-pointers. The Knicks shot 42.3 percent from the floor but made up for it by going 18 of 41 from 3-point range. Fournier chipped in with five of those to go along with a steal and a block.
"I just tried to play physical. I was trying to be aggressive," Burks said.
Prediction
Given how the Knicks were struggling on offense against the Rockets, it’s not going to come easier against a Chicago team that is young, athletic and disruptive defense. Over the last 10 games, the Knicks have lost six of them while giving up nearly 105 points per game. Shooting has dipped to below 43 percent in that trend, while the Bulls are averaging 110 points and shooting almost 48 percent in their past 10. Given they’re at home, this should be a solid win for the Bulls. Bulls by 10
Betting trends
The under is 6-0 in the Knicks’ last six games.
The Knicks are 0-5 ATS after a straight-up win in their last five.
The Bulls are 4-14 ATS in their last 18 home games against teams with winning records on the road.
The under has covered in five of the last six meetings in Chicago.
Projected starting lineup
Knicks:
PG: Kemba Walker
SG: Evan Fournier
SF: RJ Barrett
PF: Julius Randle
C: Mitchell Robinson
SF: RJ Barrett
PF: Julius Randle
C: Mitchell Robinson
Bulls:
PG: Lonzo Ball
SG: Alex Caruso
SF: Zach LaVine
PF: DeMar DeRozan
C: Tony Bradley
SF: Zach LaVine
PF: DeMar DeRozan
C: Tony Bradley
Key injuries
Knicks: Mitchell Robinson (nose, day-to-day), Obi Toppin (day-to-day)
Bulls: Nikola Vucevic (COVID, out), Patrick Williams (wrist, out)
Statistical leaders
Knicks:
Points: Julius Randle -- 19.8
Rebounds: Julius Randle -- 10.0
Assists: Julius Randle -- 5.0
Bulls:
Points: Zach LaVine -- 26.8
Rebounds: Zach LaVine -- 5.8
Assists: Lonzo Ball -- 4.6
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
