Both New York and Chicago enter their second game of the season with identical 1‑3 records, but the odds already favor the Knicks by more than a touchdown.
Key points
- The Knicks enter the game as 7.5‑point favorites with a -270 money‑line.
- SportsLine’s simulation suggests the total will exceed 232.5 points in roughly 57 % of scenarios.
- The model expects the spread to be covered about 70 % of the time.
- Chicago’s defense is currently the league’s worst, conceding 129.5 points per game.
The defending champion New York Knicks travel to Chicago for an Eastern Conference showdown on Wednesday night, with tip‑off scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at the United Center. The Knicks come off a 111‑97 victory over Detroit, while the Bulls were routed 134‑99 by Boston, leaving each team at 1‑3 on the season.
Bookmakers have the Knicks listed as 7.5‑point favorites, with a money‑line of -270 for New York and +225 for Chicago. The total for the game is set at 232.5 points, and the over/under line is being closely watched by bettors.
Recent form and betting lines
CBS Sports cites the SportsLine Projection Model, which runs 10,000 simulations of the matchup. The model projects a combined score of 238 points, meaning the over hits in about 57 % of its runs. It also indicates that one side of the spread is expected to cover roughly 70 % of the time, based on its historical performance on spread picks.
Defensively, the Bulls rank last in the league, allowing an average of 129.5 points per game, a factor the model highlights when favoring the over. On the offensive side, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is averaging 22.8 points, 4.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds, while center Karl‑Anthony Towns adds 22.5 points, 14 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. For Chicago, forward Caleb Wilson leads with 21 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals in 34 minutes of play.
What the SportsLine model says
Readers interested in the full set of picks can visit SportsLine, where the model’s recommended spread and money‑line bets are posted. The game will also be streamed on Fubo, and promotional offers from Kalshi and Polymarket are mentioned in the original CBS Sports article (https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/knicks-bulls-odds-prediction-time-2026-nba-picks-best-bets-wednesday-october-28/).
Reader questions
What is the over/under for the Knicks vs. Bulls game?
The total is set at 232.5 points, and the SportsLine model predicts the over will hit about 57 % of the time.
Who are the leading scorers for each team?
New York’s top scorer is guard Jalen Brunson (22.8 ppg) and center Karl‑Anthony Towns (22.5 ppg). Chicago’s leading scorer is forward Caleb Wilson (21 ppg).
What does the SportsLine model forecast for the spread?
The model indicates that one side of the spread should cover roughly 70 % of the time, though it does not specify which side.
Source: cbssports.com