After the league’s annual All-Star break and the festivities featuring Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, among others, in San Francisco, NBA regular season action returns.
On the slate on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden is a classic Eastern Conference rivalry, with the Chicago Bulls charging toward the New York Knicks. Both teams are playing for stakes down the stretch of the season, too, with the Knicks fighting for home-court advantage and the Bulls in the play-in mix,
With a vintage NBA rivalry renewed on Thursday night at the Mecca after a week off, check out our Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks predictions, including our NBA expert picks, with tip set for February 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Matchup Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks Overview
Teams: Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks
Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Win Probabilities
The prediction tip for the winner in the game between the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks is the New York Knicks.
Projected Final Score
Our predicted final score for this NBA matchup is New York Knicks 114-101 Chicago Bulls.
Expert Prediction: Who Wins?
The All-Star break came at just the right time for the Chicago Bulls, who made a major move ahead of the league’s trade deadline with Zach Lavine’s exit as they helped to facilitate De’Aaron Fox’s trade to the San Antonio Spurs.
The shakeup in the Windy City didn’t help the 10th-seeded Bulls, who dropped four straight games, including a back-to-back at home against the Detroit Pistons, heading into the league’s break.
They must now try to get back on track in an unforgiving venue, with the New York Knicks 19-10 at home this year.
Within touching distance of the Boston Celtics and the second seed in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks’ motivations are clear as the second part of the year commences. Retaining that home-court advantage for as long as possible, come the postseason, is the focus for Tom Thibodeau’s squad. Such a goal means that losses to lesser teams, like the Bulls, cannot happen.
Why the Chicago Bulls Can Cover
Though the Chicago Bulls are a lowly 22-33 this season and fighting to remain in the play-in tournament picture in the Eastern Conference, they do have one oddity about their season so far. They are 2-0 against these New York Knicks, despite the Knicks going into the All-Star break 12 games up on Chicago.
The Bulls’ success against the Knicks this year means they don’t need to look very far or imagine too hard to see how they can at least cover. Both of Chicago’s wins against New York followed a similar strategy.
Despite the depth, talent, and well-rounded nature of the Knicks’ starting five as a whole, the Bulls have beaten them by giving Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns the freedom to do what they want and forcing the rest of the starting five—Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby—to beat them. That strategy has worked brilliantly for Chicago.
In their first meeting, in mid November, Towns scored 46 points on 60% shooting from the field and 50% from three point range. Brunson added 24 points on 45% shooting but despite getting 70 points from their two All-Stars, the Knicks lost by one point as neither Hart nor Anunoby hit their season average in points.
Then, in the early January rematch, nearly the same thing happened. Towns scored 44 on 59% shooting from the floor, while Brunson added 33 points on 55% shooting. Yet, with Hart scoring just two points and Anunoby again holding below his season average, the Knicks dropped another game to Chicago—this time by 13 points.
It’s far from a perfect strategy, but expect the Bulls to roll it back in these teams’ third meeting this year. Towns and Brunson will be allowed to execute the two man game they’ve already perfected so beautifully, and the Bulls will happily see if the rest of New York’s rotation can beat them.
Why the New York Knicks Can Cover
The New York Knicks’ best route to covering and winning outright against the Chicago Bulls will play right into the Bulls’ hands. That’s because, despite recent history, the Knicks’ best strategy is to lean right into the two man game of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson.
Despite the lack of success New York has had in meetings with the Bulls this year, it is still wise to roll it back. Brunson and Towns’ pick and roll game is in the 99th percentile in offensive efficiency, with an average of 107.3 points per 100 possessions. The duo has meshed immediately and with near flawlessness, as evidenced by both players’ participation in the All-Star game.
Though Towns’ shooting prowess and incredible gravity are what he is widely known for, New York will lean more into the pick and roll with Brunson here, as opposed to pick and pop. The Bulls, with very few perimeter defenders and a brutally slow footed center in Nikola Vucevic, simply can’t defend the paint. On the year, Chicago allows the most paint points per game at 55.9.
That weakness will be exploited repeatedly by Brunson and Towns, who need no invitation to infiltrate the opposition’s paint. New York is already third in the league in average paint points per game, at 54.1, and that number is likely to climb in this meeting.
Just like the Bulls will be at peace if the Knicks’ supporting cast shows up and beats them, the Knicks will have no qualms about losing a third to Chicago if they go down on the backs of their stars in Brunson and Towns.
How to Make Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks Picks
Ready to make picks on the Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks matchup on Thursday, February 20? Make sure to head over to Sportzino, where you can find every NBA game on the slate this weekend and so much more!
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